Central Market Plaza favourite Whole + Some closing its doors after 33 years

In the latest hit for CBD hospitality, a whole foods favourite has announced its impending closure – leaving regular market-goers heartbroken.

• Hutt St landmark also closes

An Adelaide Central Market Plaza favourite has announced it will be closing its doors after 33 years, blaming a major redevelopment of the area for significantly slowing trade.

Bulk food store Whole + Some, formerly known as Goodies + Grains, took to social media on Friday to announce it would be holding a closing down sale over coming weeks.

The store was a Market favourite for its pick-and-mix-style wholefood and health food offerings.

Co-founder and owner Chris Martin said the $400m redevelopment of the Central Market Arcade and demolition of carpark space had impacted sales “significantly”, meaning he could no longer justify the cost of running the business.

Major construction work on the project – a joint venture between Melbourne developer ICD Property and the Adelaide City Council – will not begin until next year.

“There will be some 1200 workers there when building begins, which will make the issues with carparking even worse,” Mr Martin said.

“Our lease was up at the end of this month and I just couldn’t see myself doing this for another five years.”

“It hasn’t just been us who have been impacted, it’s all traders and those around the Market.”

The store will be open on Friday from 9am to 5pm and Saturday from 8am to 1pm, with the last day of trade on Thursday, March 28.

Mr Martin said trading hours for next week were yet to be announced.

Mr Martin said it was “with a heavy heart” that he made the decision but had been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support from regular customers, some of whom had been shopping at the store for more than three decades.

“It’s the end of an era, but I’ve been really surprised at the impact the news has had,” Mr Martin said.

“There are plenty of devastated customers, but I’m getting too old for this and have some other things I’d like to do – the time has just come.”

In December last year, Gouger St restaurant Super Bueno said it was also forced to close its doors due to a “significant downtown” as a result of the Central Market development.

“With the market upgrade completion still 3-4 years away, we are afraid that Super Bueno will not last,” Penny Hospitality managing director Hugo Pedler said at the time.

“We have also had unreasonable rent increases since the start of the year – it has almost doubled, which has unfortunately forced our hand to close this great venue.”

It is the latest in a long list of recent CBD business closures, with a cycling hub and cafe also announcing on Thursday it would close its doors at the end of this month and relocate to Henley Beach.