Columbia Closings   What's not in Columbia anymore

ColaDaily reports that this and the Beltline Lizard's Thicket will be closed temporarily due to staffing issues during the COVID-19 crisis. (Old Chicago in the Vista had signage indicating the same issue). They do plan to re-open both stores at some point.

I can only recall eating at this store twice though I have probably been there more. The most memorable experience was when I had been working across the country for a month, and *really* wanted some comfort food, so as soon as I touched down at the airport, I was already planning what vegetables to pick!

(Hat tip to commenter Heath)

UPDATE 5 January 2022: As mentioned in the comments, this closure is now permanent, so adding pictures and updating the post title to remove "(Temporary)":

UPDATE 17 April 2023: Now a Murphy Express.

Well, I could be wrong, but it appears to me that despite the banner Submarine Crab, the follow-on in the old Pho Viet, Zesto, Burger King location on Decker is gone. I have driven by there a number of times in the past week or two, and have never seen the place open, so I suspect they have succumbed to the COVID-19 curse, though I suppose the current over-crabbing of Columbia didn't help.

UPDATE 26 August 2020 -- It's official now, the banners are gone, and there's a realty sign:

UPDATE 28 February 2024 -- It's setting up to be a Mexican restaurant. The name is a bit fuzzy, but looks like Metlaltepec:

Stay safe, happy 4th!

Well, they door signs only call out a temporary closing due to the crisis, but with the real estate sign by the road, and the LoopNet listing, I'm afraid we can chalk up another casualty of COVID-19.

I have been in this antique mall many times over the years, but not in the last several years for some reason or another. I'm trying to think if I actually bought anything there, and I can't bring anything to mind, though I do specifically recall looking for old phonebooks there (and not finding any -- they are surprisingly rare). With the closing of Ole Town Antique Mall and Columbia Antique Mall, this leaves Old Mill on State Street as the only sizable area antique mall I can think of.

UPDATE 10 July 2020: Commenter Dennis offers that this building was once a "Brown Sign With The Sewing Machine In The Corner" Factory Outlet, so I have added that to the post title. See also here for the Factory Outlets. Also adding the map icon, which I forgot.

UPDATE 17 March 2023: Well, the place did not sell, opened again, and is now holding a retirement sale in advance of closing again:

According to ColaDaily, corporate is reluctant to declare this location gone for good, but everybody else agrees that it is another permanent casualty of the COVID-19 crisis.

I believe I have only eaten at this IHOP once. As I mentioned in my closing for the Assembly Street location, I started having constant issues at the downtown store after the rebuild, so one late night I drove out to Lexington instead. I found it a much more pleasant experience, but the distance involved meant I did not do it again.

(Hat tip to commenter Heath)

UPDATE 7 June 2021 -- As mentioned, this place is somewhat unexpectedly open again under new ownership:

I have written about Pier 1 Imports before and don't have much to say about this store. I think I was inside once some ten years or so ago. The whole chain is in bankruptcy now and all the stores are shutting. Wikipedia says they are still hoping for a buyer to keep the online side of the brand alive, but to me that seems like a longshot.

UPDATE 16 September 2021 -- As mentioned in the comments, now, temporarily a Spirit Haloween:

Commenter ED pointed out this COVID related closing saying:

it is doubtful it is a location you would stumble upon

and that is definitely true. This place is way past The Flight Deck on Old Chapin Road on a peninsula in Lake Murray on the way to what looks to be a private island. The area is rural and quite nice looking to me.

I really like the wood paneling in this building too.

(Hat tip to commenter Ed)

This spot at the Flight Deck complex has gone through a number of pizza restaurants since I became aware of it. In particular, I have done closings for Brix Bistro / The Bistro. I noticed only fairly recently that Papa Gio's was there, finding them while I was there to get pictures of something else.

Early during the COVID-19 crisis, I saw another pizza restaurant advertising by the roadside when I drove by: Ferrara Pizza & Pasta. Judging from the Yelp reviews, they started in early March 2020, so I'm guessing probably Papa Gio's moved out with the end of the year in 2019, though it could have been later.

Papa Gio's continues to have locations on Broad River Road and farther out on August Highway (US-1) in the old Allstar Pizza location.

Creech & Creed were in the old Five Points Bookshop storefront on Santee Avenue. You can see their branding in this shot at a somewhat out-of-date area directory. Their Yelp page, suggests they may have moved in here around 2014 (the bookstore closed in 2012). Google Streetview shows the sign gone by August of 2019, however, the inside picture above (which is really too blurry to tell too much) looks like it may have been more like some sort of antique shop moving out when I took the pictures back in March of 2020, so there may have been another store in here at one point.

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