Columbia Closings   What's not in Columbia anymore

I had noticed El Paso from time to time driving this stretch of US-1, mostly because it had some nice neon (which you can see here), and wondered about it as it was not one of the prevalent Mexican chains in the area, but never got around to trying it out. Now, as noted by commenter James R, it has rebranded as one of the "usual" local chains: San Jose.

The last google reviews are dated with the vague "three months ago", so I'm guessing the switch would have been around the New Year.

(Hat tip to commenter James R)

UPDATE 10 March 2022: Adding "Reflections Event Venue" to the post title as the comments indicate that was the incarnation previous to El Paso.

Bricks And Stones is in Woodberry Plaza, along with Big Lots and behind the former Fat Boy. While I was not aware of them, the menu looks pretty good, and perhaps I will try to sneak in there over the next few weeks.

Commenter Robin reports that their facebook put the closing down to inflation, COVID and staffing issues, like all too many places lately. Commenter Andrew sends in this ColaDaily item about the closing as well.

(Hat tip to commenter Heath)

I see that the Woodmen Of The World lodge by the US-1 fleamarket has finally given up on Bingo for good.

For months, their sign "thanked" COVID-19 for the temporary suspension of the games, but sometime around the New Year, they decided they are not going to bring them back.

O-19.

This Hardees on US-1 in Batesburg-Leesville apparently closed sometime in 2017. I see some reports that it moved to a new location, but not where that actually is. As of three or four years later, there is still no new tenant. The glassed in dining area on the west side (right side in these pictures) is interesting as I don't recall that from Hardees. It looks like it could be very nice or way too bright depending on the time of day and season.

It's back to Lugoff for this Shoney's on US-1 past US-601 on the way to Camden. Shoney's had fallen on hard times even before COVID-19, but that seems to have been the deciding factor here. Looking at their Facebook page, it appears they temporarily closed for COVID in July of 2020. Judging from Google reviews, they reopened at some point after that and then closed for good sometime in the spring of 2021.

I really should stop by a Shoney's sometime and get the Hot Fudge Cake -- it's been years since I had one.

Interestingly (or not) there is a closed restaurant just East of here that I took to have originally been a Shoney's, but that seems unlikely with this one so close by.

If you look closely at the marquee underneath the Pepsi sign, it almost looks like it says DINER, something that would make sense with that advertiser. What the diner, next to the current TitleMax, might have been called, I can't determine, or exactly when it closed. Google Streetview goes back to 2007, at which time it was already Liberty Income Tax. Also going by Streetview, it appears that Liberty closed or moved sometime between August 2015 and March 2017.

I am not sure what is currently going on here. There appeared to be a lot of food trucks parked in the back lot, and there has been a Mexican looking emblem put on the the front of the building, but judging by the furniture piled up against the windows and lack of a sign, it does not appear to be a retail restaurant.

UPDATE 19 October 2021: Changed first part of post title from Diner to Terry's Diner based on the comments.

UPDATE 19 September 2022 -- Now open apparently as a Mexican & more restaurant:

When I was growing up, we used to drive through Lugoff probably more than a half dozen times a year, visiting relatives in Hartsville. After I-20 came through, I went that way much less frequently, though sometimes I would drive the US routes to Fayetteville when I lived there, and the Interstates were still double-nickle. During the last ten or more years though I have probably only been there once or twice, and the only place I ever really remember is the building with the car on the roof.

Which is to say I had not heard of Dave's until it came up in the comments, but a nice sunny afternoon seemed like a good time to make the drive. It looks like it was a relaxed sports-bar right on the main drag. I met a resident while I was there, who has, I think has found a good home.

(Hat tip to commenter Jimmy Freeman)

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I noticed ths closed Chinese buffet in Batesburg-Leesville when I was driving through on US-1 recently. I can't quite place the fast food chain for which the building was originally built, but it looks to have been there a good while. The google reviews suggest this place struggled for a while before closing somewhere around late June 2020.

Pelican's was the follow-on in this building to a number of operations, including San Jose and Tomlinson's Used Furniture. They opened here in in 2016, but have now moved downtown to 442 Meeting Street.

In the meantime, this building seems to have been split into two units, with the righthand side now occupied by a financial services company.

I thought I was done with Bi-Lo closings, but as commenter Andrew reminded me, I had missed this one in West Columbia just East of I-26. I can only recall stopping at this store once when it was Bi-Lo. I was driving through late at night and for some reason got a hankering for cinnamon rolls, the kind that come in the little aluminum trays with the white frosting on top. I don't think I've bought any since then, but they did hit the spot.

I get the impression that KJ's is using the IGA infrastructure to build their own brand. This one, unlike the one near the flea market, doesn't even have the IGA logo on the front, though I did see IGA products on the shelves. I didn't buy anything, but it looked fine inside, probably a notch above Food Lion.

The plaza where this store is located is unusual in that it doesn't seem to have a name.