The State’s most read food & retail stories of 2017
Well here they are folks, The State’s top retail and restaurant news of 2017. Not surprisingly, Lexington restaurant and grocery store news were big stories this year as Lexington continues to grow by leaps and bounds and works to adapt to that growth. Restaurant closings were also big news -- Harper’s, One Taco Two Taco and Carrabba’s, in particular. Two of the top ten stories involved big news at Columbiana Mall. And the most-read story of the year? Well, check it out for yourself!
Food Network coming to Columbia restaurant
Food Network’s “Ginormous Foods” show came to Columbia to check out Devine Cinnamon Roll Deli’s epic 12-pound Cinnamonster cinnamon roll cake. We already knew it was great, but it was nice to see the local bakery get some national love!
Another Bi-Lo to close next month
While several area Bi-Lo locations turned into Harvey’s supermarkets, this location of Bi-Lo permanently closed, leaving nearby residents without their staple grocery store. Plenty of grocery stores moved around this year, but the announcement of this one was particularly big.
Lowes Foods to open non-traditional grocery store in Lexington
This Lowes features a Shop Carolina Movement area, which includes locally produced products such as Adams Apple jams made in Lexington, Bee Well Honey made in Pickens and Bobby’s Seasonings made in Columbia. The store also features locally grown produce from Rawl Farms and Titan Farms, and has partnered with Amick Farms for locally sourced chicken.
Carrabba’s closes one of two area locations
"Closing a restaurant is a difficult decision. It was based purely on business circumstances and has no reflection on employees or their service," said a Carrabba’s representative. Fans of the chain were still sad to see it go.
The State gets a sneak peek at Dave & Buster’s
Dave & Buster’s opened its doors in the Harbison area shopping center to much fanfare and anticipation. Have you been yet?
Lexington restaurant forced to close
A note on the door announced the unceremonious closure of Barberitos Southwestern Grille and Cantina just one year after it had opened for business. Failure to pay rent was the reason cited for its shutting.
Lexington restaurant closes on Sunset Boulevard
Another abrupt ending for a short-lived restaurant, One Taco Two Taco closed its doors in December.
Williams-Sonoma closes at Columbiana; huge surprise to take its place
The popular and upscale kitchenwares shop closed earlier this year with promises to be replaced by something even better. Almost one year later, we’re still waiting ...
Harper’s Restaurant in Five Points has closed
The beloved restaurant had been in business for 27 years before it closed in April. In a statement, the Harper’s owner said, “Dining trends and areas in Columbia have changed dramatically over the past few years and Harper’s Group has made the difficult decision to move forward to focus on other projects throughout the Carolinas.”
And the No. 1 Shop Around story of the year is ...
We’ll give you a hint: These HGTV stars brought their signature style to a new shop in Lexington.
This story was originally published December 23, 2017 at 7:00 AM with the headline "The State’s most read food & retail stories of 2017."