Columbia Closings   What's not in Columbia anymore

I got out here last year to take some pictures based on information from commenter Joe Shlabotnik, but couldn't get close enough to the actual building to see if it were in fact closed as the Verizon signage was still up at the road and it was a weekend. Unfortunately I no longer have those pictures, so the ones above just show the current sign for Southeastern Esthetics Institute (albeit clearly poster-ed over on top of the Verizon sign). I'm not sure what they do, but it seems to me they probably have more parking lot than they need.

(Hat tip to commenter Joe Shlabotnik)

There's been a lot of land cleared on the South side of the road between those two intersections.

Veranda Grill was at least the third restaurant in this Elgin-ish spot on Spears Creek Church Road. I wasn't really aware of it, but apparently it was a well regarded Chop House. Based on the timing, I would guess it was a late casualty of Covid-19.

The spot is now occupied by a Peruvian Tapas Restaurant, Ratio, whose fixtures you can see on the paito. (For some reason, I barely got a shot of the actual restaurant storefront -- it's on the right).

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I wrote the first closing on this location when it was Mangia! Mangia!.

Shag Bistro opened not long after Mangia! closed, and while I never went there, I got the impression that it was an attempt to establish a place with more mass appeal than a somewhat upscale Italian restaurant. The name suggests something very casual and beachy, or at least the Shag part does. I've never been entirely certain what Bistro is supposed to connote in a restaurant name, but inasmuch as I have any impression, it goes in the opposite direction of casual and beachy.

Why didn't I ever get to Shag Bistro? Well, it's pretty much the same reasons I only got to Mangia! Mangia! once: location and presence-in-mind. That is to say, it's an awful long way to drive, and I usually would forget it even existed.

Of course, it's not a long way for people already in the area, but I suspect both Mangia! and Shag were just a little ahead of their time. I think everyone expects the metro area to hit Pontiac at some point, but while it might have already happened in the old economy, I suspect it will still be a while before the recession passes and the metro area starts building out again. The move of the Verizon call center from Richland Mall to Spears Creek will probably help area restaurants, but I guess it was too late for Shag.

(Hat tip to commenter Cheryl)

UPDATE 22 February 2022: Updating tags, adding map icon

Well, it seems that the second location of Mangia! Mangia! is now history. I believe I ate there only twice, once in West Columbia, and once, very recently, in the new Spears Creek location.

I don't recall much about the West Columbia visit, but I chose pizza at the Spears Creek venue, and found it pretty good. Not necessarily "drive almost to Elgin" good, but nice.

I have no idea what happened to the place, but I suspect the "drive to Elgin" factor did have something to do with it. In the first place, "out of sight, out of mind" -- I only visited recently because I kept forgetting that the place existed. Second, timing. It's clear that the area is going to experience the eastward drift of the metro area as the Two Notch Corridor and Sandhills already have, but the recession has probably pushed that back, and the density just wasn't there yet. Or I could be completely wrong, though it sounds like the new operation there, Shag Bistro is thinking along similar lines, in antipation of the dining business from the Verizon call center relocation..

Added bonus, interesting clouds and sunset driving back from Spears Creek.

(Hat Tip to commenter Stewart)

UPDATE 22 February 2022: Updating tags and adding map icon. Also adding suite number to the title.