Columbia Closings   What's not in Columbia anymore

Actually this space is larger than it looks as the building is pretty deep. I can tell that from the StreetView shots, but did not notice it as I was driving by.

Elevate Social Club was evidently a membership club that closed in late 2025, with Ruckers set to open in the space by early 2026. In the event, the West Columbia zoning board determined that Ruckers would recieve most of its revenue from alcohol (a bar monetizing alcohol, imagine that!) and would not be allowed to open under that business model, or any "club" concept. The owners didn't think they could make the transition to a restaurant model, and abandoned the idea.

(Hat tip to commenter Lavender)

The Richland County Sheriff's Department has closed nightclub La Rumba on Decker right next to Decker Plaza:

"I'm all for going out and having a good time, but going out and getting shot is not having a good time," Lott said on Tuesday.

The Sheriff said law enforcement had responded to 83 other calls at La Rumba in the last two years, which also contributed to the closure. "I cannot allow these clubs to stay open when people are dying, when people are getting shot," Lott said.

The Google reviews for the place are "interesting" as well.

You can read about it on ColaDaily, The State, WLTX & WIS

I have seen a number of shows at this comedy venue in a decaying old Winn-Dixie building on Decker over they years, and quite enjoyed them. For a while I was on their email list, but that stopped at some point, probably because of an ownership change of which this place has seen several. In particular I recall that the first website for the club became inaccessible some years ago, and you had to note the new site the (then) current owners had set up from the corner sign or something like that. At any rate, it was not a smooth transition. Reviews of the place suggest another ownership change took place sometime in 2024, and the new regime never really found its footing (commenter badger suggests there were reasons for that), with a number of complaints about cancelled shows and charges for food that never made it to tables. It's not entirely clear when the last shows were, but I'm going to guess sometime early in 2025.

Currently the place's web site goes to a very sketchy looking WordPress blog that seems to date to years ago, and the interior seems to be undergoing some sort of demolition.

(Hat tip to commenter anonymous)

I never got a picture of Club 1509 after it replaced Kandy Shop in this building, but I did notice that it was gone some time ago, judging by the last posts on their Facebook, probably in 2024.

There is now a church, True Word Church setting up in the building.

The Woody moved from the Vista to this Main Street corner in 2020, and continued in operation after the passing of founder Woody Windham last year. Unfortunately with the new SC liquor liability laws, the family is unable to keep the doors open past October.

They say they hope to open in a new location as a real restaurant, but there are no firm plans for that yet.

In the meantime, the upstairs neighbor, Hendrix, will be taking over the space to open a pizza restaurant.

You can read about the closing in ColaDaily, The Post & Courier, The State, and on WLTX.

It seems to me that South Carolina's nightlife scene has been greatly altered almost surreptitiously & through the back door.

This is one of those places that I was never sure if it were still open or not. It certainly appeared not, but there are reviews up until a few months ago.

At any rate, it appears to be closed now, joining a long line of former restaurants in this building on the spur of Bush River Road sometimes known as Old Bush River Road.

UPDATE 12 February 2026 -- As commenter Andrew mentions, hope springs eternal, and this spot is setting up to be Cedar Creek Tavern:

UPDATE 14 July 2026 -- Still no opening, but they do have a sign permit!

This is quite a way from my usual rounds, so I was not really aware that Social Grill existed until commenter Robert mentioned that they were closing down for a QT to be built on the lot. 9 March was their last day, and looking at their Facebook, they have already had an auction for the restaurant equipment.

The owners plan to open a pizza restaurant called Cheesy Pint in the former B's in the Publix Plaza on North Lake Drive.

(Hat tip to commenter Robert)

This building is the former home to The Ballistic Cener, TJ's and Videos & Beyond, the last of which closed in 2011.

I don't recall anything being here between that and Michael's, but I could be wrong. At any rate, Michae'ls was here by 2019. Judging by the Google reviews, they had decent food, but it tended to come a bit slowly, and they weren't filling up the whole space (though room rentals were available).

I can't pinpoint the closing time from the reviews, but commenter Gypsie suggests it has been around a year by now. As she also notes, there is some sort of construction or gutting going on with the building, so perhaps we will see something new soon.

(Hat tip to commenter Gypsie)

McCary's Bar & Grill (the sign suggests McCary's Sports Bar & Grille, but the Facebook page doesn't support that) shares a parking lot with the phone & loan building that featured here last week.

Judging from the Google reviews, this place probably closed around September of 2023, though given their last Facebook post was 22 June 2023, and there was a shooting there on 28 June 2023, it's possible they did not re-open after that.

I'm not sure how long ago this incarnation started, but the building has been a bar as long as I can recall. The reviews suggest there was not much Irish about it beyond the logo and name at this point, so possibly the ownership changed sometime in the past.

UPDATE 6 December 2023: Adding Kentucky Fried Chicken to the post title based on comments from KC & Brandon.

UPDATE 18 September 2024 -- Open again as The New McCary's Bar & Grill:

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.