Trade Unlimited, Inc. / Sesame Inn, JJ Inc. / Jiang Asian Bistro, 280-A Harbison Boulevard: 2000s 20 comments
This storefront is in the same plaza as the Harbison Barnes & Noble and is right next to Rita's Ice Custard Happiness (a place that I had picked to last less than a year, but which seems to be going strong).
I can't ever recall it actually being occupied, but google turns up three former tenants. First was a business called Trade Unlimited, Inc, which was incorporated in 1994 and dissolved in 1998. That's a fairly generic name, so I suspect they also would have had a catchier DBA name.
Next, I think was Sesame Inn JJ, Inc which applied for a beer, wine and liquor license in 2004. Again I suspect they did business as a shorter name. In this case, I'm gussing it was probably Sesame Inn, which sounds like an Asian restaurant.
The final name I have is Jiang Asian Bistro which I take to be the most recent tenant as it is still in some online restaurant guides.
UPDATE 15 March 2013 -- It's now (or soon to be) Wing Nuts:
20 Responses to 'Trade Unlimited, Inc. / Sesame Inn, JJ Inc. / Jiang Asian Bistro, 280-A Harbison Boulevard: 2000s'
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Weston
30 Oct 10 at 10:09 am
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Seasame Inn was one of the finest Chineese restaurants in Columbia in its priome. My wife and I ate there often. It won several "Best of Coilumbia" awards from The State and The Free Times.
Tom
30 Oct 10 at 10:15 am
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Sesame Inn was as good as Miyo's (at least). They were open as late as 2005 but I'm not sure when they closed since I moved from Irmo to Arcadia Lakes at that time.
Matt
30 Oct 10 at 11:36 am
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Weston is correct. Sesame Inn was the original occupant in that space. Had several friends that were wait staff there.
Food was excellent. At least back then.
Steve
30 Oct 10 at 2:41 pm
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Sesame Inn was outstanding. Growing up, my parents and I ate there fairly frequently, and I have nothing but great memories from those trips.
Bill
30 Oct 10 at 7:36 pm
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Sesame Inn closed in 2007 or 2008.
Jiang Asian Bistro moved in almost immediately after Sesame closed.
Ken
31 Oct 10 at 11:03 am
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Oh man, I need to keep up better! I was actually planning on going to Sesame Inn this very evening.
Matthew
1 Nov 10 at 8:52 am
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I remember the helping the original owners as they were buying various vases, waste baskets and nick-nacks for their grand opening when I worked at the Walmart when it (Walmart) was where Books-a-Million and that furniture store are now. (Is Books-a-Million still there?) Then we ate there(Sesame Inn) many, many times. It was indeed the best chinese restaurant in Columbia, ever!
Back to the walmart strip, the wine place around the corner was a Bilo, they later claimed they left that location because "it was too hard to get in and out of." I always thought that was ludicrous, because it was so hard to get in and out of because of all the people. What did they want, a nice little quiet spot with a customer now and then? And there was a Hobbytown, USA up in the corner, next to Walmart. I believe Dan's Fan City is still on the wine store side, isn't it?JBL
20 Nov 10 at 1:30 am
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BAM is still there. I think Fan City is as well.
ted
20 Nov 10 at 2:04 am
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The shopping center JBL is referring to is actually called Harbison Center and is across the street from this particular shopping center called Harbison Court
Bi-Lo officially closed at Harbison Center on February 26, 2002 and officially opened up at 6021 St. Andrews Road the day after...I was told that the Harbison Blvd. traffic worked out to their disadvantage and moving to St. Andrews eliminated that. Dan's Fan City remains though.
Andrew
20 Nov 10 at 10:25 pm
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Sorry to sound confusing. Yes, as Andrew stated, the original Harbison Walmart(where I was employed) was on the WEST side of Harb Blvd, where BAM and I think Rooms-to-Go is now. And of course, Sesame Inn was on the EAST side, close to Barnes & Noble. As per andrew, Harbison Court is a U shaped strip, with an Olive Garden standing alone in the middle. The first version of Toys-R-Us/Babies-R-Us was in there, right? It became a sporting goods store, and then something else according to another entry by ted. There was also an Outback, and a Baptist Bookstore up in the corner. Haven't been in that strip for a while, and now I'm rambling. But Sesame Inn was great, wasn't it?!?
JBL
20 Nov 10 at 11:54 pm
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The Outback is still there as is some sort of baby store. I think the Babptist store is gone.
ted
21 Nov 10 at 12:00 am
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Thanks, ted. I was about to type: Sorry again, I failed to click on the links provided by Andrew before rambling. So see for yourself, everyone. But I'm still sad about Sesame Inn.
JBL
21 Nov 10 at 12:05 am
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Babies R us is still in this particular shopping Center...I remember it being a sporting goods store of some sort (if anyone remembers what it was called, pls. enlighten me) prior to that...Toys R us is a little further up on Harbison Blvd along Columbiana Drive...The Baptist store Ted is talking about moved next to the Panera Bread in the former Boater's World at the intersection of Harbison Boulevard & Bower Parkway
Andrew
21 Nov 10 at 1:45 pm
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btw I am not into Asian places at all and you're unlikely to find me in any of them but it appears that if you can fancy a trip to Pittsburgh, there are several Sesame Inn locations up there
Andrew
21 Nov 10 at 11:58 pm
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Pittsburgh IS a place I've always wanted to visit, being a Steelers fan and oddly having more than a few friends throughout the years who were from Pittsburgh. Always wanted to at Parmanti or Pamanti Bros. I'd also like to get to Seattle/Vancouver. But I'm guessing the Harbison Sesame Inn was not part of a franchise.
JBL
22 Nov 10 at 12:26 am
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Andrew, Columbia Sports was originally in that location. They were named after the cities they were located in. There was also one in Myrtle Beach, in the TJ Maxx shopping center, and another in Augusta.
Jonathan
22 Nov 10 at 9:52 am
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Columbia Sports, OK. I do remember them having more canoes in stock than any Dick's Sporting Goods ever thought of having.
JBL
22 Nov 10 at 3:54 pm
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Okay, I knew that did not sound right when I posted it. It is bad to be corrected, but even worse when you have to correct yourself. While there was a Columbia Sports, there was not a Myrtle Beach or Augusta Sports. There was Jumbo Sports in all three locations. There was a Columbia Sports, which I think then turned into Jumbo Sports, not the other way around but I could have been mistaken. Either way, yes they had a very good camping section, compared to most chains. I am enjoying Sportsman's Warehouse. Never been a "team sports" kinda place shopper.
Jonathan
22 Nov 10 at 4:12 pm
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I'm guessing the ownership change at Sesamie Inn in the late 90's was when Mr. Li sold his pet store in the same shopping center and bought the Sesamie Inn. In spite of a few off color jokes about him not having to change suppliers, I loved the place and we ate there often.
If I remember correctly the Babies-r-us / Sports place was originally a Brendles? They were similar to Service Merchandise.
Heath
14 May 11 at 10:11 pm
Sesame Inn was in that spot when I was in middle school, 1990-1992. In fact, there is also a filing (http://www.scsos.com/index.asp?n=18&p=4&s=18&corporateid=211080) that lists simply "280 HARBISON BLVD", but I am certain it was in that spot. My family went there several times before we moved to Charleston in '93.