The Store North Adelaide shuts shop after 22 years in business

A North Adelaide cafe institution has shut its doors – and the former owner hopes the “grand building” it was housed in is retained to protect a piece of Melbourne Street’s history.

The Store on Melbourne St has closed.

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A much loved North Adelaide cafe has closed its doors for good after more than two decades of serving customers.

The Store, which has operated on Melbourne St for the past 22 years, shut its doors on Thursday following a failed lease negotiation and the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Scott Greatrex, who had run the cafe since July 2019, said he was forced out of the business on Thursday after no longer being able to pay his rent.

“That business and that location, The Store, has been an institution for 22 years, and we felt like we were not the owners, but the custodians of it,” Mr Greatrex said.

“It is an iconic building and it has always drawn people into Melbourne St … people felt like they were coming home.”

He said Melbourne St had been struggling for a while now and he feared for the precinct’s future.

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The Store was previously an ANZ bank building before it became a restaurant and function space.

The building – a two-storey, state heritage-listed building is on the southeastern corner of the busy intersection of Melbourne and Jerningham streets – was sold in 2017 for $3.2 million.

He hoped the historic building would be retained so that Melbourne St doesn’t lose part of its history.

“I only hope the grand building on the corner isn’t redeveloped into an office block or apartments,” Mr Greatrex said.

“People loved it here … and we certainly gave it a good crack.”