3 days ago
6 recent restaurant closures in the Columbia area
Stories by The State journalists, with AI summarization
A handful of restaurants in the Columbia area have recently closed their doors. Carolina Western Pub, a line dancing bar in the Vista neighborhood downtown, and Random Tap, a longtime bar near northeast Columbia, both shut down due to rising liquor liability insurance costs, but the owners of Random Tap are reopening it as Eatery 117 with a breakfast and lunch focus. Ratio, known for its creative Peruvian tapas, announced its last dinner service after five years in Elgin, though the chef hints at possible future projects.
Alley Street Eats, a spot for Asian favorites like Taiwanese popcorn chicken and miso udon noodles, also closed after less than a year. In Forest Acres, Chubby's Burgers ended operations at one location while maintaining another, and June Mari's Deli in West Columbia paused business indefinitely following a fire.
The Midlands bar has been open for nearly a decade. Now its owners are planning another restaurant concept at the facility. | Published April 1, 2025 | Read Full Story by Chris Trainor
The restaurant focused on Asian street food and was located in a heavily commercial area in Columbia. | Published April 8, 2025 | Read Full Story by Chris Trainor
The spot was one of two Midlands locations of the restaurant that is known for smash-style burgers. | Published April 25, 2025 | Read Full Story by Chris Trainor
The owner of the Midlands restaurant noted that the decision to close soon did not come lightly. | Published May 1, 2025 | Read Full Story by Chris Trainor
Following a downtown closure, few Columbia venues offer a home for the popular pastime. | Published May 28, 2025 | Read Full Story by Riley Edenbeck
Three Midlands departments responded to the fire that happened early Tuesday morning. | Published May 27, 2025 | Read Full Story by Chris Trainor
The summary above was drafted with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in our News division. All stories listed were reported, written and edited by McClatchy journalists.
