Iconic Columbia tavern Yesterdays permanently closes after 43 years amid coronavirus
Yesterdays Restaurant and Tavern, a fixture in Columbia’s historic Five Points area for more than 40 years, is permanently closing as the coronavirus pandemic continues to effect businesses throughout the state.
In early April, the restaurant closed its doors, but co-owner Scottie MacRae told The State that its long-term future was uncertain. In a social media post on Tuesday, the tavern announced that it would shutter its doors forever.
“Forty-three years is a hell of a run. It is with heavy but grateful hearts that we’ve decided to hang it up for good,” the post read. “We want to extend love and thanks to all of you who came along for the ride. This community made work feel like home for us (long before that was a thing). And nothing brought us more joy than making y’all comfortable. Take care of yourselves and be good to one another.”
MacRae had previously told The State that the decision to re-open or not would be determined by the spread of the coronavirus.
“We’re basically letting the virus dictate what’s going on with us,” he said in earlier this month. “If it doesn’t last too long, we’ll be back. If it does, we might not be.”
Restaurants across the state have been ordered by Gov. Henry McMaster to restrict dine-in services. Though takeout and drive-through is allowed, McCrae previously said he decided Yesterdays had to close when he saw customers showing up in masks and gloves.
On April 3, the tavern posted that the restaurant would close for the foreseeable future for the safety of staff and customers.
MacRae and co-owners, Darrell Barnes and Duncan MacRae, opened Yesterdays in 1978. The restaurant became known for its laid back, welcoming atmosphere and Southern-style comfort foods that are popular among University of South Carolina students and after-church crowds alike. The cowboy in the bathtub that sits above Yesterdays entrance is a landmark in Columbia, and it is one of the oldest bars in the city.
Earlier this year, the owners sold the distinct triangular building that houses Yesterdays in the heart of Five Points.
“We love being part of this community,” MacRae said after the inital closure. “But it’s just impossible right now.”
Home Team BBQ, just across the street from Yesterdays, has also closed its doors as a result of the coronavirus.
Gov. McMaster announced Monday that he would be lifting some restrictions imposed during the pandemic, allowing department stores, sporting goods stores, book stores and floral shops, among others, to re-open after declaring them nonessential two weeks ago and mandating that they shut down.
But restrictions on restaurants remain, and one analyst predicted that as many as 20% of all restaurants across the U.S. could close as the virus continues to shut down the economy. On April 9, the National Restaurant Association said 15% of all restaurants across the country have either already closed permanently or would do so in the next two weeks.
This story was originally published April 21, 2020 at 6:27 PM.
