Box Hill North: Trawool Milk Bar closing after more than 50 years

One of Box Hill’s last remaining old-school milk bars is shutting up shop after more than half a century. And its owners, who are reluctantly selling stock “very cheap”, have revealed the sad reason why.

Trawool Milk Bar will close its doors for the last time on Saturday, August 31.

An old-school milk bar in Box Hill North is about to disappear from the neighbourhood after serving up treats for more than 50 years.

Nostalgic fans are lamenting the closure of Trawool Milk Bar — one of the last traditional milk bars in the area.

The doors of the go-to spot for lollies, newspapers and milk will close for good on Saturday August 31.

Trawool Milk Bar will close on Saturday, August 31.

Owner Lynn Song, who has lived at the rear of the milk bar and run it with her husband for the past two years, said they were forced to close because they were struggling to make enough money.

She said customers were disappointed the shop was closing, but blamed “very bad business”.

“A lot of people are sad,” she said.

The owners were rocked by a break-in early February, when the front door was forced open and cash and a large amount of cigarettes were stolen, but Ms Song said finances were the main reason for the closure.

She is selling all the lollies and remaining stock “very cheap” to clear the shop in its last few days.

It’s had various owners over the years, but Trawool Milk Bar has been constant presence in the small shopping strip on Trawool St seven days a week for decades.

Trawool Milk Bar has been supplying the area with treats for decades.

One customer said she grew up around the corner from the shop on Kerrimuir St and remembered going there on her way to school in the 1970s and ‘80s.

She said her mum recalled visiting the milk bar in the early ‘60s.

“It was very exciting when on the way home from work Dad would stop off and get a bag of lollies,” she said.

“He’d get spearmint leaves for one cent and two cents.”

Box Hill North’s Lisa Bravo also said it was sad to see the business go, particularly after the milk bar near the Kerrimuir shopping strip closed down.

“It’s one of the last ones,” she said.

Ms Bravo said she recalled visiting the milk bar on her way to school in the early ‘80s.

Many other residents have taken to a Box Hill North community page on Facebook to express their sadness about the milk bar closing, with many having been past customers.

Yet some people said they still went to the store.

“It’s where the kids go for a Friday afternoon treat. Very sad,” one wrote.