Reddit users reminisce about closed Melbourne businesses they miss

From smorgasbord restaurants to a beloved book chain, these are the businesses Melburnians miss most. Is yours on the list?

The local video store had all the classics.

Remember browsing the aisles at Borders or eating at Smorgy’s?

You’re not alone with Melburnians sharing their memories of the now-closed businesses they wish were still around.

More than 180 people have commented on a Reddit thread asking “What departed Melbourne business do you miss the most?”

Here are some of the best answers.

BORDERS BOOKSHOP

Borders bookshop at Melbourne Central

-iamk2_reddit

Borders Camberwell for me.

Was (a) good meeting spot when I was on my way home and (my) wife and I would meet there before going to see a movie at Rivoli.

-Zealousideal_Ad642

Lol, I was going to say Borders at Chadstone. Hang out with books and a coffee on a Saturday night – yes please!

– CallenandSam4eva

The Borders Book & Music store in South Yarra in 2001.

CLEARIT ON SMITH STREET

All the heavily discounted Dangerfield and Alannah Hill clothes and shoes you could want. And they sold their fabric off the bolt as well as haberdashery pieces so you could fix up your clothes or make your own.

I went back after the first long lockdown and the whole building was empty, it was an incredibly sad day.

– P3naught

LOUNGE

Nothing better than kicking back on the balcony on a perfect Spring afternoon.

– FullOnCarmensMom

I’ve lived in (the) USA for the last 10 years and tried to go last month – I was devastated it was gone.

– hubbawelcome

WORLD 4 KIDS

– CrimeAlley

The old World 4 Kids toy store in Chapel Street.

BRASHES

– DistributionExternal

I was absolutely stoked being in filming for a Brash’s TV commercial with Tony Barber as a young employee, just to end up on the cutting room floor.

– Ballarat420

SMORGY’S

– spongebobpatrick5

Hell yeah. My birthday parties as a kid! The fire show was always awesome. I remember getting doughnuts and just drowning them in sugar.

– The-Jesus_Christ

Smorgy’s. Where else could you get a buffet, a fire show, and a sore stomach?

– datempo10

THE CORNER MILK BARS

– Xandrabirdy

The queue at a milk bar at the corner of Inkerman road and Hotham street, St Kilda.

OLYMPIC DOUGHNUTS

Right next to Footscray Station. Best doughnut shop in Melbourne

– Dorchadas_TGC

SUGA THE CANDY STORE

Gosh their watermelon hard candy was mouth-shreddingly good.

– AusXan

Used to love watching them make the candies too, the one at Chadstone from memory, shame they went out of business.

– jamurp

DAIMARU AT MELBOURNE CENTRAL

– cromulento

Daimaru department store in Melbourne Central shopping centre in 2001.

THE PUNTERS CLUB ON BRUNSWICK ST.

Been gone a while now and I had a love/ hate relationship with it but still feel aggrieved when I’m near and know it’s not there. Also The Club on Smith St.

Widuri in South Yarra – where I first ate Indonesian food. And near it, The Mandarin.

– hawthorne00

A BAR CALLED BARRY

– leemojames

FUN FACTORY, CORNER CHAPEL & TOORAK RD

Good pinnies. Good rollerskating.

– kashmir95er

THE BRUNSWICK HOTEL

Great for gigs or a drink in the beer garden.

– pup_181

COLES CAFETERIA

– CallenandSam4eva

Many shoppers have fond memories of visiting the Coles Cafeteria.

MYER TOY DEPARTMENT

Not a departed business (yet), but the early 1990s era whole top floor toy department at Myer (part of the building that’s now Emporium).

The utter thrill of making our way up the escalators and over the lil’ Bourke St bridges after waiting for what seemed like hours of my mum perusing the make up department.

The massive Monopoly board on the floor, the huge Lego statues, big dinosaurs standing and hanging from the ceiling, train sets galore etc. I might just be remembering it through rose coloured glasses, but that place was epic in my mind.

– njmh

VIDEO STORES

Walking around with a tilted head at Blockbuster lol …

– useless_modern_god

DINE-IN PIZZA HUTS

The dine-in pizza hut stores.

– Baraqyal

GEORGES IN THE CITY

The ladies who announced each floor in the lifts. Each lift had a little posy of flowers in the wall … those were the days.

– garcon3000

BARNACLE BILLS

Showing my northern suburbs 90s here but Barnacle Bills in Campbellfield and Ollie’s in Thomastown.

– eurol1ne

GREATER UNION CINEMAS

(The cinemas) on Russell Street were my fave, especially as there weren’t usually many other people there except during festivals.

– valleyswimmer

WHAT BUSINESSES DO YOU MISS MOST? TELL US IN THE COMMENTS BELOW.