Business roundup: TGI Fridays, the Columbia Mall and the Hartsburg Grand

One casual dining restaurant chain closed its doors in Columbia, while the Columbia Mall welcomes six new stores.

TGI Fridays leaves Missouri

TGI Fridays, a casual dining chain, has abruptly closed the doors of its last two Missouri locations. The chain’s Columbia restaurant near Interstate 70 and U.S. 63 has now been permanently closed, according to a sign posted on the restaurant’s door.

The other remaining Missouri location in St. Charles is also permanently closed, according to its Facebook page. Commenters on the restaurant’s post indicated employees had “not even a day’s notice (about the closure) before the holidays.”

CNN reported in April that TGI Fridays had just 85 locations remaining in the U.S., a decline from the estimated 270 restaurants open at the beginning of 2024.

TGI Fridays’ corporate media offices did not immediately respond for comment regarding the Missouri restaurant closures.

Hartsburg Grand

The Hartsburg Grand reopened with a facelift and new menu in late October. The restaurant reopened under new owner Andrew Vrooman, who bid for the property in a September auction from the Missouri Organics Association.

The historical building, located at 30 S. Second St., Hartsburg, has seen many proprietors in its time. Since it was built in 1897, the building has been a grocery store, a bike shop, a theater, a restaurant, an event hall and even a hardware store. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1998.

The restaurant is open Thursday through Sunday and serves lunch, dinner and drinks.

Columbia Mall: Sbarro Pizza, holiday pop-up stores and more

Columbia Mall General Manager Rusty Strodtman said Wednesday that the mall has “more stores open now than before COVID,” and that “business has been really, really good.”

He confirmed that Sbarro Pizza would be returning to its original location in the mall food court. The pizza joint had been located in the food court since the mall’s opening in 1985.

“It’s very full circle,” Strodtman said. “We’re really excited about having it back.”

The original Sbarro had closed in the mid-2010s when the company underwent a series of financial difficulties. Strodtman said construction is currently underway to renovate the space and replace the majority of the kitchen equipment.

The new location will be a locally-owned franchise, Strodtman said. He said mall management is hoping the restaurant can be open sometime this December before Christmas.

New stores: A few holiday stores have already opened in the mall, including Mother Moon and Go! Games and Toys.

Mother Moon is a store that sells clothing, accessories, crafts and decorations inspired by traditional Indigenous cultures. It is returning to the mall this holiday season, offering “gifts for the whole family,” according to a Facebook post. The store is located in the Target wing between Finish Line and Vintage Stock.

Go! Games and Toys, open now across from Mother Moon, sells board games, video games and toys. Its seasonal kiosk counterpart, Go! Calendars, sells a variety of calendars in various sizes and styles.

Christmas Cottage will also be returning to the mall for the holidays. It is located near the center of the mall, next to Rally House and Windsor. The store specializes in Christmas items made in Missouri and offers unique artisan gifts. Strodtman said the store hopes to be open before Black Friday on Nov. 28.

A new store catered toward ‘tween’ and teenage girls, Honeybee, will also be opening before Black Friday. The store will sell accessories, snacks, apparel and cosmetics. Honeybee will be located near the mall’s center, next to Eddie Bauer.

Mother Moon, Go! Games and Toys, Christmas Cottage and Honeybee will all be open seasonally until January.

Exotic Snack Guys will be opening this weekend at the mall, between Charlotte Russe and Torrid in the Target wing. The company specializes in imported international candy including popular Asian candies and snacks. Exotic Snack Guys currently has over 50 locations in the U.S. and this will be its second location in Missouri.

Columbia business owner Nic Parks will open Slab City Collectibles, a trading card and memorabilia store, on Dec. 1. The store’s location will be near the mall’s center next to J. Jill. Slab City Collectibles will sell trading cards including Pokémon cards, as well as signed and collectible sports memorabilia. Parks is also the owner of Shiloh Bar & Grill, Lakeside Ashland and Level Up Entertainment.