Columbia Closings   What's not in Columbia anymore

I am a little surprised that this storefront has a Bush River Road address, as it clearly fronts onto Colonial Life Boulevard, and is quite removed from the part of this strip mall which does face Bush River (though that part doesn't have a turn-in from Bush River either). Anyway, that aside, I'm afraid I never visited this Blimpie, and can't recall visiting any Blimpie. I certainly like sandwiches, but to me Dagwood's in Surfside is the gold standard here, and it's more table service than fast food.

(Hat tip to commenter Barbara)

I noticed today that the Marble Slab in The Vista is closed. The last reviews are from four months ago, so it's pretty clearly another COVID-19 story.

I do think the window sign is a bit misleading. While I'm glad to hear the Woodhill location is open, I suspect the wording has made more than a few people driving by, park and then be disappointed on walking up to the door.

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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)

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.

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)

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.

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Well, here's another casualty of COVID-19.

ColaDaily reports that both the Assembly Street and Lexington IHOPs will not be reopening after closing for the crisis.

This site last featured here when the old classic-look store was torn down and rebuilt in 2013. I confess that I had given up on this location well before the closure in March. I have always appreciated IHOP as a good late-night place for comfort food, and I really like the Harvest Grain & Nut Pancakes. However, it seemed to me that every time I went here after the rebuild, I had some kind of issue. Either I couldn't get seated, or couldn't get waited on, or couldn't get anyone to take my money on the way out. Then there was the time the restaurant was full and apparently only one one kitchen staffer had shown up. I have had much better luck on Two Notch, but they are not open late, so my midnight runs seem to end up at Applebee's these days (well, "these days" before the current unpleasantness).

(Hat tip to commenter Heath)