Columbia Closings   What's not in Columbia anymore

Save A Lot was the follow-on operation here to Columbia Food Fresh Market which closed in 2010. This location closed briefly in December of 2018 when the operator closed this store and nine others. Since then, the place has been run by a unit of the Columbia Housing Authority, which seems like a bad idea, and in fact, has not worked out. I'm not even sure how they were able to take over the franchaise and branding.

At any rate, they are pulling the plug at 5:00pm on 24 August 2019, although as the WLTX article notes the shelves are already bare and the place appeared to be closed when I drove by at 6pm on the 21st.

(Hat tip to commenter Andrew)

I noticed today that the One Stop / Shell at the corner of Gervais and Harden streets is remodeling. A lot of Circle Ks have been doing this recently -- I don't know if this is to compete, or if it was just time.

UPDATE 26 November 2019 -- Open again:

This bar in the Old Parthenon location is another casualty of the drive to enforce liquor license terms in Five Points establishments.

I don't know anything specific about The Thirsty Parrot, but it did make the news in 2018 when there was a shooting in the doorway.

UPDATE 23 July 2019 -- Commenter Sidney points out this place is not closed. I had read this State story which mentioned the building was being sold, and jumped to the wrong conclusion. D'oh!

Well I don't have a lot to say about 5 Points Roost, having never been in. The place is another casualty of Dick Harpootlian's liquor license enforcement project.

I suspect the most fondly remembered operation in this spot remains Frank's Hotdogs.

The Horseshoe replaced Kildare's Irish Pub in the summer of 2014, and is the most recent of a long line of bars and restaurants in this spot (going back, at least, to Kester's Bamboo House). The building is now for sale, so we will have to see what happens.

According to The State, this place is a casualty of a work to rule enforcement of SC's liquor laws, which has hit a number of college bars in Five Points. It strikes me that it may be a case of killing the golden goose, but the scene had been getting out of hand, sometimes fatally, in recent years.

Costume store Hip-Wa-Zee in Five points is closing next month. The State has the story. Most of this block has been in flux in recent years as it is apparently going to be completely redeveloped:

The developer, California based Campus + Main, has said it plans to build a mixed use space with the possibility of retail, office and residential units. Most likely a complete rebuild of most of the 900 block is in store.

The store opened in 1999, making for an impressive twenty year run. But in the end, as with so many other stores currently, the Internet was the deciding factor:

The one change that proved hardest to deal with was the growth of internet retail. When a developer who had bought up the rest of her block on Harden Street approached her about selling, she put him off for a year while she looked for a new location. But after an extensive search and seeing the changing retail landscape, Minerd came to the hard decision that it was time to sell and close up shop.

I didn't see a final closing date in The State, or WOLO stories, but the closing sale is ongoing, and you should probably get there soon.

Rose Bud was the follow on operation in this location to Kiddie Korner. Possibly at some point in between, it was also Ectax Services. I don't actually know when Rose Bud closed, but Kiddie Korner was about 2009, and when I took these pictures in November 2017, it looked to have been vacant for a while.

RealtyTrac says the building was built in 1958, which I can believe looking at it.

Rose Bud was behind (or in front of, depending on your point of view) Pizza Man and as commenter Andrew notes both those buildings have now been razed.

This Five Points bar (in the former Frank's Hot Dogs location on Harden Street) has been in the news a good bit lately. As The State said in May:

The Pour House bar in Five Points bar has agreed to give up its business license later this month and to close by 2 a.m. until then.

Columbia police announced the agreement Friday, saying owner Daniel Wells has “voluntarily relinquished” his license as of May 22.

Police Chief Skip Holbrook last month declared the bar a nuisance, citing a history of fights and other problems at the bar, including underage drinking and serving alcohol later than permitted by city law.

And later:

A former owner of the Pour House, a popular bar in Five Points that was closed down after police called it a nuisance, is asking a Richland County court to throw out portions of a USC student’s lawsuit against him, saying they exist only to humiliate the owners, tarnish their reputations, raise passions and inflame the media.

As I recall, I was only in the place once, probably sometime in the 90s, to see The Impotent Sea Snakes, who had just been in the news for outrageousness. In the event, they had to tone down their show, and weren't good enough musicians to make up for that -- or that was my opinion at the time.

I just noticed that I did a Pour House post, when it was closed temporarily for remodeling. I think that's when the monkey decor went away.

Well, today was the final call at El Burrito on Harden Street. In the event, I think I only ate there once or twice. It was good, but somewhat out of the way, and I tend to go to places with parking lots. Still, 16 years is a good run for a restaurant, especially in Five Points, and they went out on top of their game.

The Free Times has an interview with owner Suzi Sheffield which talks about the early years and the history of the building (which was originally a twin to the much remodeled Schiano's on Forest Drive).

Apparently it is still up in the air whether the developer who bought this and neighboring buildings will raze and build or just re-purpose.

UPDATE 12 July 2017 -- Finally got around to take some post-closing pix:

Well, this is a surprise. I had not eaten at Harper's more than four or five times over the years, but it was always perfectly fine. In fact, the last time I went, probably just a year or two ago after an absence of a dozen years or more, it seemed a good deal more upscale than I recalled. The dedicated parking lot was also a nice touch, as parking in Five Points can be a hassle.

Judging from the WLTX story flagged by commenter ED, the chain itself is OK, and continues in Charlotte & Greensboro, so there was apparently some issue specific to Columbia here.

It will be interesting to see what happens to this site.

(Hat tip to commenter ED)

UPDATE 12 March 2019 -- Work has started on the remodel for Home Team BBQ:

UPDATE 5 April 2020 -- Here are some additional pictures of Harper's I have just run across. They date from 1 February 2015: