Dozens of Midlands businesses closed in 2023, including long-running favorites. Here’s what we lost

Chris Trainor
·4 min read

All things end, but that doesn’t mean we have to like it.

And while there were scores of new businesses that opened in the Midlands area in 2023, sadly, there were a number of places that closed their doors, as well. From breweries to Chinese takeout spots to longtime pizza parlors, it was a year in which dozens of businesses said goodbye.

Below you’ll find a list of some of the restaurants, shops and other Columbia and Lexington area businesses that closed in 2023, or announced they will soon close. To be certain, this is not an exhaustive, comprehensive list, but rather a sampling of some of the places we lost.

The “dollar theater” has gone dark. In November, the Spotlight Cinemas St. Andrews discount movie theater at 527 St. Andrews Road closed its doors. The theater initially opened four decades ago and had several owners through the years.

A nearly 30-year staple of the West Columbia restaurant scene exited the stage when Jin Jin Chinese Restaurant closed in December. It was located in the Capitol Shopping Center on Sunset Boulevard.

Lexington also lost a spot for wings and fries in 2023. Wing Man, which was located in the Exxon gas station at 711 Main St., shuttered in August.

An order of original wings and fries from Wing Man at 711 Main St. in Lexington. It closed in 2023.
An order of original wings and fries from Wing Man at 711 Main St. in Lexington. It closed in 2023.

Bed Bath & Beyond went on to the great beyond in 2023, closing all of its stores nationwide. Included were the Columbia locations on Two Notch Road, Garners Ferry Road and the Harbison area.

Alodia’s Cucina Italiana permanently closed its restaurant at 2736 North Lake Drive in the Irmo area. It had been open for 15 years. The Alodia’s on Main Street in downtown Lexington remains open.

Say it ain’t so: Al’s Upstairs, the Italian restaurant that has delighted diners in West Columbia for 44 years, closed its doors on Dec. 19. “My journey in the restaurant industry began at the age of 18, and I am humbled to have had the opportunity to serve you over the years,” longtime owner Al Loftis said in a farewell statement.

The I Heart Mac and Cheese restaurant in northeast Columbia closed. The spot was located at 1033 Roberts Branch Parkway.

Columbiana Centre mall off of Harbison Boulevard has continued to remain a vibrant shopping hub. But it is not immune to closures. In January 2023, the Gap store in the mall closed its doors.

The pig has stopped wiggling. In February, the Piggly Wiggly grocery store at 760 Highway 378 in Lexington shuttered.

Piggly Wiggly at 760 US 378 in Lexington will close its doors on Feb. 5, according to the store’s social media posts.
Piggly Wiggly at 760 US 378 in Lexington will close its doors on Feb. 5, according to the store’s social media posts.

A longtime Vista hotspot in Columbia bid farewell earlier this year when Wet Willie’s bar at 800 Gervais St. closed its doors.

Game over: The Dick’s Sporting Goods location at 10204 Two Notch Road in Columbia closed its doors for good. The company’s store on Bower Parkway in the Harbison area remains open.

While Moctezumas Taqueria has opened a new restaurant this year at 402 Beltline Blvd., it also closed a location in 2023. The spot at 4341 Fort Jackson Blvd. shuttered in late January.

River Rat Brewery at 1231 Shop Road, one of Columbia’s first craft breweries, announced it will be closing up shop after 10 years. The last day is set to be Dec. 30.

A fixture of the Five Points district went off into the sunset in 2023 when the Starbucks at 747 Saluda Ave. closed. It had been at that location for two decades.

Wild Wing Cafe was once a force across Columbia, with a number of restaurants in the area. But in May, the last of the company’s stores in the Midlands bid farewell when the restaurant at 729 Lady St. in the Vista shut its doors.

The Wild Wing Cafe at 729 Lady Street in the Vista in Columbia has closed.
The Wild Wing Cafe at 729 Lady Street in the Vista in Columbia has closed.

The Esther’s Soul Food and Kitchen location that was at 631 Promenade Place in the Village at Sandhill shopping district closed in May.

The longtime Village Idiot Pizza location at 4517 Forest Drive in Forest Acres was slated for closure in late December. It has been open since 2009. The Village Idiot locations in Five Points and on Whaley Street remain open.

A regional diner known for its burgers said goodbye when the Hwy. 55 Burgers, Shakes & Fries location at 1180 Dutch Fork Road in Irmo closed its doors in October.

Department store Belk closed its long-running location in the Richland Mall in Forest Acres. The mall site is set to undergo a more than $100 million overhaul in coming years that will bring in residences, new shops and more.

The Buffalo Wild Wings location 10056 Two Notch Road in Columbia bid farewell, closing its doors in May.

So long, Fatz Cafe. The longtime casual dining chain closed all of its locations in 2023. That included the one at 942 E. Main St. in Lexington.

Fatz Cafe in Lexington was closed on August 23 and a sign was on its door saying the location - and all Fatz locations - were closed permanently.
Fatz Cafe in Lexington was closed on August 23 and a sign was on its door saying the location - and all Fatz locations - were closed permanently.

Tuesday Morning home goods chain saw a sunset in 2023, closing all of its stores nationwide. Among those were the Midlands locations, including the one at 264 Harbison Blvd..

A popular Puerto Rican restaurant near Columbia shut its doors. A Fuego 100x35 closed in October at 7320 Broad River Road in Irmo.

After 17 years on the scene in Irmo, Blue Flour Bakery closed its shop at 7703 St. Andrews Road in May. That shop was known for cookies, biscuits and many other treats.