Columbia Closings   What's not in Columbia anymore

This is a shame as this Baskin-Robbins was my go-to for milkshakes & ice cream. Not that I went that often, but it was pleasant on a summer night to get something cold and hang around in the warm evening outside for a while.

I believe this closing leaves Forest Acres without an ice-cream parlor for the first time in my life. There is still Zesto for a chocolate-dip, but as much as I like soft-serve now and then, it's not really the same thing.

I'm not sure what's up with the construction, but apparently someone jumped the gun a bit.

(Hat tip to commenter Larry)

I noticed today that the Marble Slab in The Vista is closed. The last reviews are from four months ago, so it's pretty clearly another COVID-19 story.

I do think the window sign is a bit misleading. While I'm glad to hear the Woodhill location is open, I suspect the wording has made more than a few people driving by, park and then be disappointed on walking up to the door.

UPDATE 28 June 2022: This place is now closed for good. I need to get some updated pictures.

UPDATE 3 February 2023 -- Here is a picture. The signage is still up for some reason:

I noticed on my last trip to Fernandina, that this old-school Dairy Queen on historic Florida Route A1A, just off of I-95 in Yulee Florida was closed. (You can see it, poorly, in operation in the first shot).

If I had to guess a cause, it would be the interminable road construction on this stretch of A1A, which has made this parking lot almost inaccessible, especially if west bound. Of course the walk-up design has its drawbacks as well: One review advises eating in your car to avoid the no-see-ums.

For now the nearby produce & souvenir stand is holding on despite the acess problems. I would be sad to see that go, as it has been there forever, and always has good citrus & candies.

This Sandy's was in Lexington in the same plaza as McAlister's Deli. I never ate at this one -- If I'm going to drive out to this area to eat, it's probably Uno.

Here again is a story on the owner's retirement.

I believe I have now covered all of the Sandy's locations that were open until the end. As I recall, there was a location on Parklane once, maybe I'll try to find that building someday.

Although I did not know it, Chocolate Monkey is a small family owned chain of candy shops. As their Facebook explains, the owners have moved to Tennessee to run the stores there, and keeping up with the lone South Carolina store from there was just a bridge too far.

That's a good looking strawberry!

(Hat tip to commenter James R)

I had come from Pizzera Uno to the Pastime Pavilion in Lexington to see a movie. In point of fact, I was hoping to still find the latest Mad Max move showing though it was dropping out of first run at the time. I had done a quick google before leaving home, noting that the time and place for Max would make it convienient to a restaurant I hadn't been to for a while.

It all went well until I got to the theater and found that I should have taken time to click on the movie descriptions as well as times as the movie turned out to be about a dog.

Anyway, as I was walking back to the car in sort of disgusted amusement, I noticed the plaza's Marble Slab Creamery was closed. There were no explanatory notes or signs, but cleary the place had been cleaned out even though the marquee was still up.

Well, I was sorry to see this. Hooligan's has been a long-time presence at Trenholm Plaza, and has continued the ice cream tradition that started in that location with Edisto Farms Dairy.

I didn't go to Hooligan's that often, but they were dependable, and had excellent ice (the chewy kind) for the drinks. At one time, when my eldest niece was in her terrible twos, Hooligan's was the only place my sister could take her out as it was kid friendly, and cranky-kid friendly.

(Hat tip to commenter mamarose)

UPDATE 29 January 2018: According to The State, this is to be BLD Diner

a hip version of the American classic diner, offering everything from omelets and fresh squeezed juice in the morning to a full prime rib dinner in the evenings

UPDATE 14 May 2018 -- The sign for BLD Diner is up:

UPDATE 6 August 2018 -- BLD Diner is now open in this slot:

This closing was noted last week on Have Your Say where there was some speculation that Bruster's would have done better on Two Notch than tucked away by Carabba's on Graces Way.

I'm not sure I agree as the Graces Way lot effectively fronts Sparkleberry, and sits right across from Spring Valley High School, which had to be, I think, a factor in the store's siting. Given that all the other Bruster's in Columbia have shut down, and that the only Grand Strand location has as well, I tend to think the whole "no inside seating" concept is iffy. Think about it. The fact that Baskin Robbins has seating gives it a whole season (plus rainy summer days) during which it can draw and Bruster's can't. Where are you going to take the kids' basketball team for ice cream after the game in January? Probably not to a place with outside tables only.

I took the daylight pictures on Saturday 24 January 2015, at which time a crew was actively getting the equipment out of the store. As you can see in the night pictures, the menuboards are already gone.

And just as an aside, I *do* think the Graces Way siting works against Carabba's. They have just reduced their hours, which is Sign #1.

(Hat tip to commenter Mr. Hat, making it a Hat hat tip..)

UPDATE 6 October 2016 -- Now a Pelican's SnoBalls:

UPDATE 30 August 2021: Updating tags and adding map icon.

I was at Panera on Garners Ferry this evening and I noticed that the Marble Slab Creamery has moved across the parking lot from the Cici's wing of the shopping center to the Panera wing. The new location is actually the old Starbucks location which became vacant when Starbucks moved into the old Qdoba location.

While their closing note is hopeful, the real estate sign in the window and their recent facebook traffic is not. It looks like this combination Bruster's Real Ice Cream and Nathan's Famous on Columbiana Drive is gone.

I don't think I've ever had a Nathan's frank, but the few times I've had Bruster's ice cream, it's been perfectly fine. I do rather question their no-dining-room concept. I think that hurt the one on Beltline and the one in Murrells Inlet. This one actually seems to have more in the way of picnic tables and outside benches than those did though. I wonder too if some of these Columbiana/Harbison places are a victim of the Yogi Berra Effect:

Nobody goes there anymore, it's too crowded.

It was not a particularly peak time when I took these pix, and it was still a bit of a wait to turn left into the complex -- and that's when I had made it that far. Another trip to look into the reports of Chick-Fil-A closing in the mall got aborted when I came down the hill from St. Andrews Road and saw the backup from Bowers Parkway on -- I just pulled a you-ie and 180-ed out of there..

(Hat tip to commenter Mike)

UPDATE 3 October 2018 -- As mentioned by commenter Tom, and as you can (barely) see in the picture below, this is now a Tony's Pizza:

UPDATE 30 August 2021: Updating tags.