Is fast food heading for the Five Points Harper’s location? Looks like it.

The fast food restaurant Zaxby’s is eyeing the old Harper’s location in Five Points.

A Florence-based franchisee has applied for a special exception to install a drive-thru window in the former sit-down restaurant, which was a Five Points landmark until it closed in May.

The drive-thru would be on the same wall as the Five Points mural painted by artist Blue Sky. However, the window would not mar the painting, said city of Columbia deputy zoning administrator Rachel Bailey.

“It’s farther back on the same wall,” she said.

Harper’s, which served steaks, barbecue and American fare for 27 years, was the second high-end dining location to close in the urban village near the University of South Carolina in recent years. Garibaldi’s, a white-tablecloth Italian and seafood restaurant, closed in 2015.

In May, two other restaurants — El Burrito and Rise Gourmet Goods and Bakeshop — also closed.

That doesn’t leave the village short of dining options, however. Those still include Mr. Friendly’s, Yesterday’s, Saluda’s and Tavern on Greene, as well as an abundance of bar-food and fast-food options.

Five Points Association executive director Amy Beth Franks could not be reached for comment Wednesday. However, she previously has said that fine dining was preferred for the location.

It is unclear whether the association or others will oppose the special exception.

Bailey said no one has logged any opposition as yet, “but with the sign going up, I think we’ll get some calls.”

Building owner John Scarborough said there was a high amount of interest in the building. But he blamed what he termed the high cost of doing business in Columbia for not landing a higher-end tenant.

“I talked to about 25 groups, and four of them were higher than fast casual,” said Scarborough, who has operated The Villa restaurant in the St. Andrews area for 40 years. “But the numbers didn’t work. So they ended up going to Charleston or Greenville.”

The franchise owners, Jim and Britt Poston of Florence, operate 19 Zaxby’s, all in South Carolina. They have stores in Myrtle Beach, Florence, Sumter, Orangeburg and Columbia.

At first, the brothers wanted to tear down the Harper’s building, with its wide, brick front porch, to build a standardized fast-food restaurant, but changed their minds.

“After careful examination, we thought it had a lot of character and would make a good Zaxby’s,” Britt Poston said.

Poston added that he hoped the critics eventually would warm up to their store.

“The drive-thru is going to be unobtrusive,” he said. “And we would like top think of ourselves as a little upscale for our market. We’re excited to serve the Five Points area and hope people come visit.”

This story was originally published November 22, 2017 at 2:15 PM with the headline "Is fast food heading for the Five Points Harper’s location? Looks like it.."