PDQ

Columbia's only location of PDQ is closing.

 Hannah Wade

This is an edition of Capital City Progress, a weekly column that focuses on business, growth and development news in the Columbia area. It is written by Post and Courier Columbia business reporter Hannah Wade.

COLUMBIA — The capital city's only location of PDQ, a fast-food chicken sandwich chain, will close its doors after nearly a decade. 

The last day for the chicken shack, located at 4456 Devine St., will be Tuesday, Feb. 20, an employee at the restaurant confirmed to the Post and Courier. Calls to a number associated with the location's owner and to PDQ's corporate office were not answered. 

It's not clear why the eatery is closing its doors. 

PDQ opened along the strip of road that leads out to busy, chain retail and restaurant corridor Garners Ferry Road, in March 2014. It was the first location in the state at the time. There is a second location in Greenville. 

Since opening, the area has seen a number of business change-overs. In the same area, Southern grocery chain Bi-Lo closed its "Gamecock" location, known for its use of the University of South Carolina's mascot in its signage, in February 2021. 

As PDQ leaves, the bustling area is left mostly chicken-less when it comes to fast food, aside from Dave's Hot Chicken up the road. It's unfortunate timing as the Bojangles just across the street is closed down for massive renovations.

The plan for Bojangles, which the city's Board of Zoning Appeals approved back in May 2022, is to demolish the building and replace it with another Bojangles that'll have nicer amenities and a more expanded drive-thru. 

In other chicken news

Chicken Salad Chick, a national chicken salad chain, has circled an opening date for its third Columbia location. 

The chain restaurant is at 4840 Forest Dr. in the Trenholm Plaza shopping center and will open its doors Feb. 27, according to a press release from the company. 

For the first 100 people in line that day, the eatery will offer free chicken salad for a year, according to the release. This is the third location of the chain in the Columbia-area — joining a location on Lexington's Sunset Boulevard, which opened in 2013, and a Harbison Boulevard location that opened the following year. 

“(We've) had our eyes on Trenholm Plaza for a long time. We are so glad we are finally able to expand into such a great lifestyle center alongside many wonderful shops and restaurants," co-owner Julie Beville said in the release.

The Forest Drive location will be open Mondays through Saturdays from 10:30 a.m. until 8 p.m.

Oh, you were tired of chicken news?

In case you missed it on Friday, the temporary location of Drake's Duck-in, at 1840 Hampton St., where the restaurant has been operating for nearly a year closed Feb. 16, owner Daniel Boan confirmed to Free Times.

It's not yet clear when exactly the Main Street location will reopen, but Boan said they're preparing to open back up on Main Street soon. An official opening date will be announced at a later time.

The longtime fast-casual chicken restaurant, known for its chicken sandwiches and affordable eats, closed its 1544 Main St. location in early spring of last year as the restaurant prepared for major renovations.

Other business news you might've missed

A locally-owned soap shop, Raw Essence Natural Soaps and Bath Company, moved its operations and retail store from Two Notch Road to the Arcade Mall on Main Street, the city of Columbia announced in a press release Feb. 12. 

The company offers a variety of soaps, candles, body scrubs and deodorants that are completely handmade and free of harmful chemicals. It's located at 1332 Main St. and is open Mondays through Fridays from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.

If you've been missing sandwiches on the south side of Main Street following the closure of Which Wich right across from the Statehouse, here's some good news for you. 

Sub Station II, a sandwich chain with locations across the state, opened a location in the former Which Wich space at 928 Main St. Feb. 15. The chain offers traditional deli sandwiches and salads. The eatery will be open Monday to Saturday 11 a.m. until 7 p.m.

In other sandwich news, a popular eatery is coming to the Midlands. 

Sully's Steamers has chosen an opening date for its upcoming Lexington location. The sandwich chain will open its doors at 5850 Sunset Blvd. on Feb. 26, according to a Facebook post from the sandwich shop. 

And last, but definitely not least, officials broke ground on the Scout Motors plant Feb. 15. The $2 billion electric vehicle plant is expected to bring 4,000 jobs to Blythewood. 

"It's hard to believe that a year ago a few of us were locked down in a closed-room session trying to figure out how we could be competitive for this Scout facility ... now, a year later, you look around and see all the work that's going on," state Secretary of Commerce Harry Lightsey said to a crowd of around 300 people the morning of Feb. 15. 

The plant will require anywhere from 5,000 to 6,000 workers to complete the construction, the company said. 

Do you know a restaurant or retail business that is opening, closing, expanding or in the works? Reach Hannah Wade at hwade@postandcourier.com. Follow her on X: @hannahwade2000.

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Growth and development reporter

Hannah Wade covers growth, development and new business at the Post and Courier Columbia. She previously worked as the food writer for the Free Times. Before joining Post and Courier Columbia/Free Times, Hannah worked as a reporting and photojournalism intern with The Greenville News. She graduated from the University of South Carolina in 2021. 

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