Columbia’s Vista loses 2 restaurants in the past month. National report expects more

Last week, Carolina Ale House announced on social media that its restaurant in the Vista is closing for good.

Carolina Ale House was at 708 Lady St. for the past 12 years but could not make it through the coronavirus pandemic.

“The pandemic has been challenging for the restaurant industry as a whole and while we hoped for a different outcome, it is unfortunate but necessary that we close at this time,” said the post.

The Carolina Ale House at 277 Columbiana Drive in the Harbison shopping district will remain open.

The restaurant and bar offered delivery, curbside pick-up and altered hours during the pandemic but could not hold out. Carolina Ale House is a regional sports bar-themed restaurant with six locations in South Carolina.

Another restaurant that closed in the Vista is World of Beer at 902 Gervais St. World of Beer is a national bar and restaurant chain that had hundreds of different beers available on any given day.

World of Beer removed the Columbia location from Facebook and all other sites in November.

“We’ve had a few [businesses] close in the district throughout the year because of the pandemic, but we’ve also had some open throughout the year, so we’re hoping that that can stay promising,” said Abby Naas, executive director of the Congaree Vista Guild.

The National Restaurant Association surveyed 6,000 restaurant operators Nov. 17-30 and found that 87% of full-service restaurants reported an average 36% drop in sales revenue. The average profit margin for restaurants is between 5%- 6%.

The association sent a letter to Congress Monday asking for more relief for restaurants, according to a press release.

“What these findings make clear is that more than 500,000 restaurants of every business type — franchise, chain, and independent — are in an economic free fall,” said Sean Kennedy, executive vice president for public affairs in the letter. “And for every month that passes without a solution from Congress, thousands more restaurants will close their doors for good.”