A Starbucks in a key Columbia district has closed for good. Here’s what we know

The long-running Starbucks location in Columbia’s popular Vista shopping and entertainment district has closed its doors for good, the company says.

The coffee shop is located at 831 Gervais St., in the heart of the Vista, next door to the Blue Marlin restaurant. Signs on the shop’s window Tuesday afternoon said it was temporarily closed and that the company was “working to re-open our store as quickly as possible.”

But after an inquiry from The State, a statement from the coffee giant indicated the Vista location is permanently closed.

“As part of Starbucks standard course of business, we continually evaluate our business to ensure a healthy store portfolio,” the statement said. “After careful consideration, we determined it was best to close the store at 831 Gervais Street in Columbia, SC. Our last day at this location was November 19, 2021.

“As difficult as this is, we must make the right business decisions for the sake of Starbucks long-term growth. All Starbucks (employees) working at that store had the opportunity to transfer to one of our nearby locations. We look forward to continuing to serve the Columbia community and encourage our customers to visit us at our other stores in the area.”

There are more than 30 Starbucks spots across Richland and Lexington counties, according to a store locator map on the company’s website. The Gervais Street location is no longer listed on that map. The closest Starbucks to the now-shuttered Gervais Street spot is several blocks away, at the corner of Main and Washington streets.

A peak inside the Gervais Street location from the front window Tuesday afternoon found the shop undisturbed. There was a Realtor-style key box on the front door handle.

The announcement that the Vista Starbucks was closing for good came as a surprise to one of the owners of the building where it is located. As of late Tuesday afternoon, property owner Scott Garvin said he had been under the impression that the business was only temporarily closed because of staffing issues. Hal Stevenson, another owner of the building at 831 Gervais, also had indicated to The State Tuesday that he believed the closure was temporary.

Garvin said Tuesday evening he was disappointed to hear the company had decided to close the shop permanently.