Columbia Closings   What's not in Columbia anymore

I used to go to this Pizza Joint location fairly often when they were open late on Thursdays for Service Industry Night, but when they stopped that, I kind of drifted away. I had noticed driving by several times lately that they were not open when I would have expected it, but I put it down to covid + staffing, and didn't think much about it until commenter Larry noted that they had had a fire there.

Looking at the place last Sunday, I am happy to report that repairs are obviously underway, so hopefully they will be back soon. The building must be surprisingly durable as it has been a number of different operations since starting life as a Hardee's.

(Hat tip to commenter Larry)

This location of Mattress Firm is one that survived the big wave of store closing a few years ago, but it has now pulled up the sheets. As commenter Matt points out, it was just across the street from another mattress store, which can't have helped matters much.

Somehow or other I managed to drive by hundreds of times over the years without ever fixing it in my mind that the store was here, and probably dozens of times in the past month without noticing the closing flags. We'll see what comes next -- the location is not bad, with stoplight access and a good bit of traffic.

(Hat tip to commenter Matt)

I'm sure I must have been in this CVS at one time or another, but I can't recall it if so.

The Post & Courier says:

CVS apparently is looking to trim its network of locations, so it is letting go of the location as its lease expires despite the strong commuter traffic that moves along the corridor daily, Mills said.

In the event, the closure was finalized on 25 May.

I will say that the drive-through here was a bit awkward.

(Hat tip to commenter Larry)

It looks like Tootsies on Forest Drive will be closing soon, as they are currently running a 30% off retirement sale. It might be a good time to pick up some summer shoes before the beach..

I noticed a sign for a 50% off closing sale at this Trenholm Plaza jewelry store when I was coming up Trenholm from Decker the other day. I don't believe I have ever been in this store, but it has been there quite a while as a Columbia Star profile indicates this location opened sometime around 2004. I can't find anything online about the closing, but there was this story about a 2013 robbery that I can't ever recall hearing about before.

This closing will bring the count of vacant storefronts on this north wing of the plaza to four by my count.

UPDATE 15 February 2021 -- The closing signs are up:

Ale House Lounge (or as some listings style it: The Original Ale House Lounge) sits in a little plaza off of Beltline which, like Lake Wobegon, the decades cannot improve -- or at least to me it seems unchanged from the first time I saw it.

I can't find any media stories online about the closing, but commenter Joelc chalks it up to limited bar hours, presumably due to COVID-19.

(Hat tip to commenter Joelc)

LensCrafters in Richland Mall was on the upper level across from the barbershop, in the far left of the first picture. I had another picture of the facade, but it didn't come out, and Richland Mall is locked on weekends now, so it will be a while before I can get another.

They moved to Cross Hill Market in an outparcel across from Duck Donuts sometime in the fall. I believe that with this move, the barbershop is now the only business in Richland Mall which does not have outside access.

J. Crew apparently has the distinction of being the first major retailer to file for bankruptcy due to the COVID-19 infestation, and this store at Trenholm Plaza, which was the only Midlands location, closed as a result of that.

ColaDaily has the story, as does WLTX which also points out that this leaves the shopping center with four vacancies.

(Hat tip to commenter Heath)

The B.L.D. Diner is the follow-on operation in this Trenholm Plaza space to Hooligans (which was a follow-on to Edisto Dairy). The name is an acronym for Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, but the one time I went there, they were still ramping up, and started closing during my late lunch.

I presume this closing (which is "until further notice") is due to our old friend COVID-19. I hope they do come back, but Trenholm Plaza has certainly taken some unexpected hits this year, and this is one more.

(Hat tip to commenter Larry)

UPDATE 17 May 2021 -- Open again:

This one has been mooted about in Have Your Say for a couple of days now, but Circle K on Bethel Church Road closed today.

This store was once a Kangaroo Express and went to Circle K a few years ago when Kangaroo was bought out. The building is smaller than the new Circle K concept you see in recent construction like Forest Drive & Harbison, plus another convenience store recently opened across the street in the old Ravenwood Pharmacy, neither of which can have helped.

The gas prices were not particularly low here, but I enjoyed the fact that if I filled up here, I didn't have to go out on Forest Drive or elsewhere out of the neighboorhood. I also generally found the ladies at the counter here to be very friendly, and the new coffee machines (as at all CKs) made a quite decent cup.

(Hat tip to commenter Matthew)

UPDATE 12 November 2020: Adding The Pantry & Kangaroo Express to the post title.

UPDATE 18 November 2020 -- As mentioned in the comments, the gas tanks have been excavated as seen in these 17 November pix: