Columbia Closings   What's not in Columbia anymore

I have seen Hwy 55 operations pop up here and there in the area and on the coast, but I have never gotten around to trying one. Apparently it's a North Carolina outfit that started out as Andy’s Cheesesteaks & Cheeseburgers. Not that I get to Elgin often anyway, but it looks like I won't be trying one here.

The Free Times has a bit on the closing of this location, saying that it is to become a fast-casual Greek operation, Gyromania Grill sometime in February or March.

(Hat tip to commenter Thomas)

Here's a closing I just happened to notice during a drive-by the other day, but which happened late last year.

Lexington Jewelers in downtown Lexington closed on Christmas Eve of 2021 due to the retirement of the owner, who had been running the place for almost 40 years. You can read about it in The State or The Post & Courier.

The main sign here somewhat confusingly calls out Everlasting Impressions, but this brideswear shop is As One Bridal, and they have moved to 4350 Saint Andrews Road.

(Hat tip to commenter Gypsie)

This Main Street convenience store was shut down recently by the Columbia Police Department as a public nuisance. According to ColaDaily:

CPD officers have responded to more than 200 calls for service at the location since January 2021. Documented criminal offenses at the store include drug possession and distribution, larceny, loitering, urinating and defecating in public, alcohol violations and litter/trash accumulation.

Commenter Robin also notes this WLTX story to the same effect.

(Hat tip to commenter Robin)

Way back in the dark ages when I first started this blog (working by candlelight on a steam-powered computer), I wondered why I wasn't getting any hits or comments. I figured I would eventually get traffic from Google but it wasn't happening, and I felt like I was posting into a black hole. I finally decided I could either give it up, or take a shot at doing a little advertising.

After poking around on their website for a while, I figured that I could afford a month or so online advertising with The Free Times, and looking at their requirements, I came up with this ad:

Although I was really dragging (it later turned out I had pneumonia..) I burned it to CDROM, made an appointment and took it down to this office (which was pretty nice). Things went very smoothly (which was good because I could barely sit up straight), and the ad rep was helpful, looked at the files and got right on it. The next day, as I recall, the ad went up, and almost immediately I started getting comments (I suspect some were from Free Times staff the guy had told about my odd little project).

(It also later developed that I wasn't getting any Google traffic because the default WordPress setting is "do not allow this blog to be searched". Who knew..)

Anyway, that was the only time I went in this office. I know that before this location, they were at Sunset Boulevard near the Chicken Plant, and that after the Post & Courier bought them, they moved to a building on the corner of Gervais & Harden where they are now.

UPDATE 28 March 2022 -- Here is their current office at 2101 Gervais Street:

I stopped at Drip a few years ago when I had an appointment down town and I had a bit of time before I had to be on the grid again. I thought it was a decent cup of coffee, not something I would fight parking to have again, but not bad at all.

They closed the main street location on a temporary basis in October, and have recently decided with the ongoing labor and supply-chain problems, they are just going to make it permanent and concentrate on their Five Points location.

The State has the story here.

(Hat tip to commenter Dustin)

This suite in The Addesso has held a number restaurants, not all of which I have tracked, but the most recent was Bruno’s Taqueria. According to their Facebook they closed at 5pm on Christmas Eve of 2021.

Unfortunately, I didn't have any convenient parking, so all I have are these long shots. We'll have to see what happens here next.

(Hat tip to commenter Sidney)

Main Street Public House has closed, and will be replaced during the holidays by a pop-up concept: Miracle Cocktail Bar.

After that, Prohibition Columbia restaurant & bar will open in the space, a new location for Charleston's Prohibition. ColaDaily has the story here.

I hate to admit it, but I was not even aware that Main Street Public House existed, though it definitely looks as though I could have found something to my liking on the menu.

(Hat tip to commenter Larry)

Moms On Main was the follow-up in this storefront to the relocated Al-Amir, though the building is probably still best remembered for The Elite Epicurean.

An article in ColaDaily pegged Moms to open around New Years of 2020, and I suppose it did, though unfortunately I never got around to going there.

The article quotes some reactions to the forthcoming opening,and I have to show one as it turned out to be so sadly, and badly, wrong for all of us:

“Calling it now, 2020 is going to be a great year for Columbia! I can’t wait to try this spot!!” –@theoverflowfoodblog

(Hat tip to commenter Justin)

Indah Coffee Company has closed their Arcade Mall location on Main Street to concentrate on their Sumter Street store.

Commenter Larry supplies the information (seconded by WLTX that somehow Takosushi will be using this vacancy as well as the nearby Pita Pit vacancy to come back in some sort of two headed configuration.

(Hat tip to commenter Justin)