Columbia Closings   What's not in Columbia anymore

I don't know anything about Belly's other than that it is a barbecue place, and is currently listed by Google as "Temporarily Closed". Their Facebook hasn't been updated since 2023, so there's no clue there, but according to commenter Beth reporting on some other Facebook traffic, they may not be coming back.

(Hat tip to commenter Beth)

Before I-20 came in, we would take US-1 through Camden whenever we would go to visit relatives in Hartsville. Often on those trips (or whenever we could nag successfully enough) our parents would let us stop for lunch at the Burger Family restaurant. In retrospect, there was nothing special about it, it was a standard hamburger stand in a town that didn't yet have a McDonald's, but it was someplace different, and that's what mattered. At this point, I can only recall three things about it: The manager had a hearing aide; the burger names were family themed: Papa Burger (the largest) , Mama Burger (more "normal" sized) and some kind of kids burger, the cute name of which I can't recall, and they always got something about the order wrong. It became a running joke with us.

After Burger Family closed, we switched to Hermes, which was sort of a Hardee's knock-off in a town that didn't have one of those either. Then, of course, I-20 came in, and we started taking that to Bishopville instead.

I am not absolutely sure this is the right building, but I have looked a number of times in Camden over the years, and this is the only one in about the right place, looking like it could have been there then, and have been a restaurant then, and which tickles vague memories. I could be wrong -- it was a *long* time ago.

I don't suppose this is a big surprise: We have all noticed Fatz closing locations without adding any new ones, but still I was expecting it to take longer.

The news came last week that the whole chain has shut down, with some reports of bankruptcy filings, though no actual links to such.

This store in Lexington was the last Midlands location, and I had never eaten there, but I would drive by from time to time, and observe that it seemed to be doing a reasonable business. In fact, as I was taking these shots, several cars wandered in, looking for a meal.

It's a good sized building, and there are already an Asian buffet and a San Jose in the general area, so we'll have to see what happens next here.

Here are stories on the chain closing shop in The Index Journal, The State & The Greenville Sun.

(Hat tip to commenter Alan)

I did a closing on the Lake Murray location of Alodia's back in June of 2021 when they were closed due to staffing issues. They re-opened after that, and I made it a point to go by for a meal, and thought it was fine.

Reently commenter Robin pointed out that the Main Street Lexington location was closed temporarily due to financial issues.

You can read more about that from The State, WLTX & The Post & Courier.

I couldn't park when I drove past last weekend, but there was a sign on the door and it did appear to be closed then. However, judging from the recentness of several of the Google reviews I see, it appears they may have already reopened. Can anyone say for sure?

(Hat tip to commenter Robin)

This place goes back at least into the 50s when it was The Friar's Club, then it was Mary's Celebrity Supper Club, and then it was Ole Place Club, and, possibly after Mary Dixon's passing, (The New) Ole Place. I believe through all those times, and the ups & downs of Two Notch Road, it remained a membership-only bar & grill. Judging from the activity on their Facebook page it appears they closed around November of 2022.

Be sure to checkout the Celebrity Club link, and I have a picture of the Friar's Club on a postcard somewhere I will try to get uploaded.

This WLTX article (which is actually mostly about another used car dealer closing) mentions in passing that American Car Center closed in February. The story also calls it a subprime auto dealership, a term I am unfamiliar with, but which doesn't sound like something you would care to be called.

The property is fairly attractive. It's elevated with a nice view, and the buildings still seem to be in good shape. Assuming the economy picks up some, I expect another dealer will move in soon.

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Bestway Inn was another of the US-1 motels which lined that route coming into and going out of Columbia as we discussed recently. Actually I suppose they were all on the "coming into" side of Columbia, just depending on which way you were going.

This one lasted, in reduced circumstances, until 2017 at which point they surrendered their buisiness license to avoid being declared a public nuisance .

I don't think closing the place really brought that stretch of the road up any. It's still sitting there and now it's not maintained at all -- I forbare turning off into the lot to get any closer pictures.

This LoopNet listing helpfully mentions that the property has 32767 rooms, a number which will bring a smile to any computer programmer.

The glory days of the Grand Motel sign are behind it now, even the animation above from 2011 was a bit past it. The next two pictures are from 2009, and the three after that are from 2011 again. The ones after the break were taken two weeks ago, and last week.

The Grand Motel was one of the many US-1 motels in the Columbia area dating back to before the Interstate system. Off the top of my head, there were Dreamland, Chat 'n Rest, Bestway Inn, Forest Motel, Throughbred Motel, and the still extant Star Motel. (There is also still at least one US-1 motel still open on the other side of town near I-26).

In recent years, the Grand had apparently been operating as much as efficiencies as a travel motel, and I believe that continued into this year. Most recently as commenter Robin points out, the place has been bought by a charity which will operate it as affordable housing with mentoring. WIS has the story here. The complex will be called Grand Village, and some of the existing motel rooms will be upfitted while there will be new construction as well.

As you can see in the shots after the jump, work has started on asbestos abatement on the existing rooms.

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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)

Palmano's was in the small building below KJ's, formerly occupied by Reds. Judging from the google reviews, it was open until a few months ago, but has since transitioned to another pizza place (with mostly the same signage): New York Pizza & Pasta Factory. Google suggests the phone number is the same for both pizza shops, so perhaps this is more of a re-branding.