Columbia Closings   What's not in Columbia anymore

The ATM on this site was rather odd, in that it was a walk-up ATM not associated with a branch bank, like a survival from another era. The only other one like it that I can think of is on Greystone Boulevard.

I'm not sure what the fencing around the site signifies. Perhaps they plan to replace it with a more conventional drive-up machine. At any rate, I think the current next closest location is the drive-up beside the former branch below Tram Road.

(Hat tip to commenter Gypsie)

Here's a self-service car wash adjacent to Seven Oaks Shopping Center which appears to be defunct. The name may be Seven Oaks Car Wash, Inc., or it may not.

I don't know much about Mikino's -- I believe the only place I've eaten at Seven Oaks Shopping Center is Zorba's, but it seems to have gotten good reviews.

Commenter Heath noted it was closed, and commenter Gypsie found a Facebook page to the effect that it was permanent.

(Hat tip to commenter Heath)

For a long time, it was not clear if this restaurant was closing or not. I believe they were trying to direct traffic to their other location, in the old Ruby Tuesday building at Dutch Square, but were keeping this one, in a former Wendy's, open too for a while.

In the event, it is now definitely closed, and for sale, and you should head to Bush River Road for your down-home fix.

(Hat tip to commenter Gypsie & co)

Irmo's Blue Flour Bakery will be closing this Friday after 17 years so that the owner can retire and spend time with family. Although I rarely drive this stretch of Saint Andrews Road and was unaware of them, the story in The State makes me sad I missed out on some very good looking cookies.

Here is the announcement on Instagram, and the bakery's Facebook and web site are here and here.

The last days are this Thursday & Friday, 11 & 12 May from 11am through 1pm.

The closing for the former Main Street location is here.

(Hat tip to commener Mitchh)

Longtime Seven Oaks stalwart, St Andrews Seafood Market is currently closed. Unfortunately the owner has been having some health issues, but, judging by the posted signs, is thankfully doing better now. Nonetheless, she is taking the opportunity to retire, and the business is up for sale.

So, if you're feeling pescatory, you might want to reel in this catch.

(Hat tip to commenter Gypsie)

I don't know much about this vet operation other than, judging by the Google reviews, it seems to have closed around 2020 and is right next door to the former Liberty Tax. I also am a bit surprised to find the Seven Oaks name this far towards I-26. I generally think of Seven Oaks as starting below Tram, but then I didn't grow up in the area and didn't really know the name until recent years.

(Hat tip to commenter Gypsie)

I drove right by this place the other day when I was looking for it, because I forgot to write down the address, and I thought a vacant used car lot would be pretty easy to find. In fact I must have driven by hundreds of times while it was in business, and never noticed it. I can't find a standard review site but reviews on some of the smaller sites lead me to believe they were in business at least until fall of 2022.

At any rate it is good to see that the building is still being watched over.

(Hat tip to commenter Gypsie)

Shopping center St Andrews Center (the former Clusters of Whitehall) suffered a fire during the night of 16 January 2023. I have not seen any update on the cause, but the initial reports were fairly sketchy. Here is one from The State with a picture of the blaze in progress.

Looking at the buildings on 21 January, it appeared to me that the damage was mostly confined to the west building, on the side that fronts Bush River Road. Basically that comes down to two businesses, a night club, Sugar Daddy's Jazz Cafe / Red Beans & Rize Jazz Cafe and a hair salon, Hair Power. The next storefront away from those two is a church, which was reported by commenter Gypsie as planning to go ahead with their next service as scheduled.

(Hat tip to commenter Homer)

UPDATE 8 February 2023 -- It looks like the smoke damage to the church was worse than they thought at first, and they are currently meeting at another location:

Well, here's another bank branch closure. This one is at the corner of Saint Andrews Road and Old Bush River Road in Irmo. The real estate listing is here.

About the only other thing I know about it is that it was robbed in early 2018.

(Hat tip to commenter Gypsie)