Eric’s San Jose restaurant on Garners Ferry Road closing

Longtime Columbia eatery Eric's San Jose Restaurante Mexicano was set to close its doors Thursday, leaving employees and its patrons in a lurch.

Amid brisk business Thursday afternoon, employees said they were informed of the restaurant’s closure Wednesday morning in an employee meeting at the Garners Ferry Road restaurant next to the Shoppes at Woodhill shopping center.

“It was a shock to me,” said Gary Jones, a Columbia resident who said he has patronized the business for many years. “We’ve always had a lot of fun here, with Cinco de Mayo, and stuff like that – we’ve always enjoyed ourselves. We’re gonna miss it.”

Jones and a companion came to the restaurant for “one last meal,” he said.

Eric Leon, owner the of the restaurant, could not reached for comment Thursday.

Meanwhile, some patrons said social media postings Thursday indicated a good-sized party was in the works for the restaurant.

Chase Allison, 26, of Columbia, came to the restaurant Thursday after hearing on Facebook and from friends at his job about the plans to close. “We’ve always come up here, and when we heard, it was a crisis. We had to come up here and get something to eat before it gets outta here.

“We enjoy it a bunch,” Allison said.

His friend, John Taylor, 22, of Columbia, was lockstep with one final feast before Eric’s closed its doors. “It’s a good place, good people, love the quesadillas here, love the waitresses, good, (inexpensive) food,” Taylor said.

This story was originally published December 22, 2016 at 6:09 PM with the headline "Eric’s San Jose restaurant on Garners Ferry Road closing."