‘Goodbye for now’: A longtime bar in Columbia’s Vista district has closed its doors

A mainstay of the bar and restaurant scene in Columbia’s Vista district has closed its doors.

Wet Willie’s, located at 800 Gervais St., announced on social media it was closing that location after more than a decade. The bar’s last day was Sunday, Jan. 8.

The bar also teased the possibility that it might return to the capital city in a different location.

“After 15 awesome years with you all, we are sad to say goodbye for now as we have come to the very difficult decision not to renew our lease,” Wet Willie’s Columbia posted on Facebook. “We hope to come back and open in a new location in Columbia as you all have been so good to us over the years! Stay tuned! ... Thank you all for being such wonderful friends and guests.”

Wet Willie’s has been a prominent player on the Vista hospitality scene, with its corner location at 800 Gervais St. putting it in the heart of the bustling district just west of the S.C. State House. It has been known for, among other things, its frosty daiquiris. Customers have long been seen dining and relaxing at one of its outdoor tables along one of the Columbia’s busiest corridors.

There are 10 other Wet Willie’s locations across the South and along the Eastern Seaboard. Other South Carolina locations include spots in Myrtle Beach and Beaufort.

News of the closure of the Columbia Wet Willie’s raced across Facebook on Sunday. The Columbia restaurant’s farewell post had more than 650 comments and had been shared more than 2,000 times as of Monday morning.

“I’m so sad,” one of the hundreds of Facebook commenters wrote. “I was ready to enjoy drinks on the patio as soon as it warms up again.”