Columbia Closings   What's not in Columbia anymore

This little building on Shakespeare Road has been a number of restaurants over the years, several of which have featured here (some as 6301 Shakespeare, as there seems to be some confusion about the street address). This particular one had not, and seems to have gone in around 2011, and was gone by November of 2014 by which time it was Shakespeare Fish Market, which itself was gone by 2015.

Currently the building hosts a used car lot.

This one is a bit odd in that there is Maaco signage up on the old AutoPros location, but the place is up for sale again -- and I can't ever recall it operating as a Maaco. Furthermore, no google searches turn up Maaco at this location, they all come back with the Decker Boulevard location as the closest match: No indication that Maaco was planning to move here, or did move here.

If anyone can recall seeing it open, or knows more, chime in.

After 31 years in business, the owner of "this little store" is retiring. You can see her heartfelt goodbye on their Facebook.

In the meantime, if you're looking for a suit, the closing sale is on.

The former 2nd Spin Appliance, now Appliance Home Store has moved from this building at the top of Fontaine Road to the old All South Federal Credit Union building at 7227 Parklane Road.

In the meantime, Scout Motors has taken over this space.

(Hat tip to commenter Matt)

Tati's, headquartered on Broad River Road, were in the process of rehabilitating the old Dentsville Rush's location, but operations seem to have stalled out. I have not seen any progress on the work there over the last several months, and I have not seen the Tati's food truck parked in the parking lot lately either.

For some reason, the only Korean restaurant I've ever been too was in Korea. Given that I liked it well enough, I don't know why I haven't tried one again. That said, this building will always be Lizard's Thicket to me, as it was our go-to outlet for that chain for many years.

Googling doesn't turn up any media hits, but Reddit group ColumbiYEAH suggests the owners went back to Korea on vacation, and just decided to stay.

There's a bit of confusion as to the exact name of this place: I have gone with what the main google hit says.

(Hat tip to commenter Russell)

As reported by commenter Sidney, the Whiskey Kitchen house restaurant at the Delta Northeast on Two Notch is rebranding as a Mexican eatery: Dos Amigos. With a few notable exceptions, I have always found restaurants in hotels to be "eh..OK" in general. We'll have to see if this is any different, though as recent comments have pointed out, there is no dearth of Mexican restaurants on Two Notch..

(Hat tip to commenter Sidney)

This was apparently also known as Best Western Plus Columbia Northeast and the rather generic Columbia Northeast Hotel, so perhaps it lost the Best Western branding in the last months of its life. Google streetview shows the place looking open, and with Best Western signage into May of 2024, but as of the end of June, when these pictures were taken, the place was closed with indications of some sort of work going on. (The Google reviews suggest it really needed some.)

I have not driven past since then, so perhaps it is open again or at least has some indication as to what is to come now -- I will have to check it out again soon.

I always thought Badcock had a Smucker's kind of thing going on: With a name like that, it had to be good.

I first became aware of the chain in Fernandina growing up, but I never got around to going into the store on my trips up and down Centre Street. Likewise, I don't believe I ever stepped into one anywhere else either.

Commenter Andrew sends this article which says that the chain was purchased seven months ago by Conn's Home Plus which promptly went bankrupt taking Badcock with it. Seems like some poor decision-making on both sides of that sale!

This store is in Fashion Place on Decker, a venue which has seen its share of closings over they years to the point that I would say Badcock was the last anchor type store in the place. We will have to see what follows.

It looks like the Sub Station II on Parklane has disaffiliated from the chain and struck out on their own as Leo's Deli.

As nearly as I can tell from looking at the google reviews, this happened sometime around February 2024.