Columbia Closings   What's not in Columbia anymore

As commenter Larry mentions, Liberty Tap Room is going through extensive renovations -- so extensive that in fact it will open as a new restaurant Taco Mundo Kitchen y Cantina. This is another place I never got to, though I think I may have been to the one in Myrtle Beach, which is still open as far as I can tell.

(Hat tip to commenter Larry)

I found these pictures from April & May of 2012 -- Pretty much no change since then...

Whit-Ash has been in this location since 1974, making them a Vista stalwart before there was a Vista.

According to WIS this location was once the Murray Drug Company, and you should look at their article as it has a very nice historical picture and ad for that establishment.

Before moving to this spot, several articles mention a (non-specific) site on Saint Andrews Road as the original location for the store, and commenter Midnight Rambler found a 1973 State article listing it as at Boardwalk Plaza, which, of course was Bush River Road.

The owners are retiring, and don't have a definite end date for the closing sale, with the current plan being to sell down to the last piece of furniture.

You can read about Whit-Ash on ColaDaily, WLTX and The Post & Courier as well as the WIS link above.

(Hat tip to commenter Tom)

I just ran across these pictures of Tabu at 700 Gervais Street, and realized I hadn't seen that locomotive in a good while. I believe the spot is now occupied by Tsunami, though I could be behind on that as well.

There's not a lot of information online, but the place is referred to in the past tense in this 2016 State article, so it was definitely gone by then. This Free Times article suggests that the club shared ownership with the now demolished Pure Ultra Lounge on Berryhill and featured an Urban playlist.

I wasn't aware of Heathcliff's Jewelers in the vista, until commener Justin mentioned that their building was up for sale.

While I was googling them (and not finding much information), I did turn up a photo of the block which appears to have been taken in the 1970s, and is interesting. The copyright is unclear, so I'm not embedding it, but take a look at the building when it was Palmetto Interiors.

(Hat tip to commenter Justin)

I guess this isn't too surprising given that the other Wild Wing Cafe locations in the area have already closed (one fairly recently), but combined with the recent Buffalo Wild Wings closing on Two Notch, it makes me wonder if this market segment as a whole is in trouble. I have heard that for restaurants to get wings nowdays it is almost a "market price" situation and a recent google review for this place does comment:

The wings here are TINY. Like half the size of a traditional wing. Maybe smaller honestly. It’s like they killed the chicken just after it hatched.

I can't comment personally about that as since I don't care for chicken I had never visited the place. Still it's always a shame to see a spot close and folks out of work.

Here's today's Facebook announcement, and here is the still extant web site

(Hat tip to commenter Larry)

I am not much for cupcakes (or cakes at all, for that matter), but I did notice Cupcake DownSouth on a walk through The Vista back in March of 2012, when, apparently, they did not have the word(s) DownSouth on their sign.

Commenter Mr. Hat reported this closing, which is confirmed on their Facebook. Apparently there is a Mount Pleasant location which will be open for an additional week.

(Hat tip to commenter Mr. Hat)

I'm afraid this is yet another place I never got around to eating at, despite the fact, according to they closing sign, they were here ten years. They were pretty quick to get the butcher paper up too -- I really was unable to see inside the place at all.

Here is a ColaDaily article on the closing.

(Hat tip to commenter Ellen)

Crabby's was the follow-on operation in this space to Takosushi and apparently closed at the end of the year. As I am not a seafood person, I never stopped by, but this was one of a wave of crab-oriented places that have opened in the area over the last few years. I guess it's possible the wave has crested, or, given the history of this storefront, it may just not be a great location for a restaurant.

(Hat tip to commenter Justin)

This closing is a bit surprising. I know this Starbucks doesn't have a drive-through, but I thought that there was plenty of foot traffic in The Vista especially during the Holiday Season. On the other hand, Google has marked the place as "temporarily closed", and the branding and furnishings are not gone. On the third hand, the door has a real-estate type keybox on it now.

Anyway, at least for now, you'll have to walk up a block to Panera.

(Hat tip to commenter Justin)

I somehow managed to get pictures of all sides of this building during a May walk-through of the Vista -- all sides *except* for the actual front view of the Vista Nutrition storefront. I'll try to fill that in later. Anyway, Vista Nutrition opened in January of 2021 to serve a variety of healthy shakes, teas & smoothies.

ColaDaily has two stories, one on the store's opening, and another on the closing.

(Hat tip to commenter Justin)

UPDATE 12 October 2021 -- Here are some (so so) pictures of the front side of the building: