Sorry, we’re closed: A long list of the Top End’s much-loved businesses that shut down
MANY Top End businesses have shut down in recent times, with plenty breaking the hearts of their devoted customers when they did. Take a stroll down memory lane and reminisce wistfully about some of them here
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FROM long-term family businesses to popular start-ups, these are some of the Top End’s most notable business closures in recent years.
Ducks Nuts — 2017
The Mitchell St staple ended its long career abruptly after rumours began circulating the eatery would close.
Then-manager Drosos Tavlarios said the business would “probably” be closing but could not elaborate further.
Event Hospitalities and Entertainment, which owned Ducks Nuts and next-door Birch Carroll & Coyle Cinemas, did not respond to requests for comment.
The closure came months after a court found an employee stole almost $200,000 from the business.
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Birch Carroll & Coyle (Darwin City) — October 2018
Dinner and a movie became a thing of the past when Birch Carrol & Coyle shut down its Darwin City cinema complex.
The future of the cinema became a concern when neighbouring Ducks Nuts closed down the previous year.
The NT News was unable to get a response from Event Hospitalities and Entertainment, however then Chamber of Commerce NT chief executive Greg Bicknell said the closure was a blow to the CBD.
“Every CBD you go to around Australia, the world for that matter, the cinema is a key part of it … it draws people in,” he said.
“If you look at the Cities Deal and the CDU plans and having younger people in the CBD, a cinema is part and parcel of the entertainment alternatives.
“A cinema complex is part of the fabric of our city. I am surprised it can’t get the patrons to sustain it.”
The closure did not affect the Casuarina or Palmerston cinema complexes.
Happy Hearts — January 2019
Home to one of the biggest burgers in Australasia — the 5kg Supreme Burger — Happy Hearts reluctantly closed its Coolalinga and Galleria locations.
Owners Fe Bacayo and Carl Sorrenson said the decline of the Territory economy hit them extremely hard.
“We loved our business and our customers were awesome but we could not continue due to high costs and lower income,” Mr Sorrenson said.
“It’s really saddened our hearts to have this decision but we have no choice.”
Reomart — January 2019
Steel distributor Reomart opened in 2005 and supplied reinforced steel products and services to minor and major projects across the Territory.
Manager Paul Carter told the NT News the closure was upsetting but necessary.
“With the economic climate up here, we’ve been sustaining losses for quite some time now,” he said.
“It’s always been tough but the last five years have been exceptionally tough. Our outlook in the future was not much brighter.
“It was a very hard decision, it certainly wasn’t what the group wanted but at the end of the day we couldn’t see any light at the end of the tunnel.”
Four employees were laid off while another three were being moved into the company’s other businesses.
“I sincerely hope the Government understands the nature of the economy up here but I suspect they don’t,” he said
Palmerston Sports Club — January 2019
From $18 schnitties one day to locked doors the next, the Palmo institution closed after 20 years of business.
Palmerston Sports Club (also known as the Hub) released a shocking statement it would close due to economic hardships.
No employees or members were notified beforehand, leaving more than 50 people without jobs.
“The club’s current business model is no longer sustainable in this very challenging economic environment,” the statement read.
“The club has experienced a significant downturn in business while having to maintain an undesirable cost structure and premises that is no longer conducive to patronage in what is now a very competitive and saturated (over-serviced) market; with no foreseeable improvement anticipated in the near term to justify remaining open.”
A spokeswoman for Hospitality NT said the Hub’s closure was a devastating loss for the community.
“Unfortunately it was the perfect storm; less customers, more competition and higher Territory gaming taxes,” she said.
An industry source said the Hub had lost out on $200,000 in gaming revenue as a result of changes by the Gunner Government to the taxation regime.
Go Sushi Grand Central — March 2019
One of Darwin’s most beloved restaurants, Go Sushi closed last year after 19 years of culinary excellence.
Owners Toshi and Theo Manolis decided to shut their doors after two years of tightening their tills and seeing less seats filled.
“The economy is very bad,” Ms Manolis said.
“So many small businesses are suffering, it’s not only us.”
The restaurateurs owned and operated a number of successful business over the decades, including Guiseppe’s Restaurant, Gourmet Deli, Barra Bar and Tuxedo Junction.
Mr Manolis told the NT News the economic pressure, combined with the physical and emotional stresses of running a business in their late 70s, sealed their decision to close.
“In my condition now, the stress is just not worth it,” Mr Manolis said.
“It’s breaking my wife’s heart to close. She lives for this shop. She’s made so many friends and it is such a part of her life.”
On its last day of trading, every seat in Go Sushi was taken.
In the days leading up to the “Last Supper”, chefs and staff were working overtime to prepare for stampedes of sushi lovers, and the phone rang off the hook.
It ended on a high note, with Ms Manolis declaring she would hit Throb to mark the end of the institution.
Not all was lost however. Go Sushi’s legacy was continued last year when Ms Manolis’ son, Steven Marcelis, opened Go Sushi X on Smith St.
The restaurant is based on the same concept as the original Go Sushi but with minor changes, including a smaller sushi train to accommodate the size of the new location.
The Busy Bee Cafe — February 2019
Many Territorians’ hearts were broken when news broke that eatery and its famous chips and gravy would be no more.
After more than 45 years of business, owner Verissimo De Jesus said business conditions were simply too hopeless to continue trading.
“We’re in the middle of a good community, but the community also has no jobs and there is no money to spend,” he said.
“This is what we’re living with. Our turnover is not enough to cover the costs.
“This is a small family business. It is a business that has existed since before the cyclone … The community sees us as an iconic business in Darwin, so to be forced to close for financial reasons is very sad.”
When asked what his family will do next, Mr De Jesus had a message for the Territory Government.
“Maybe I can ask the Chief Minister to give me a job so that I can feed my family,” he said.
Late last year the Busy Bee Cafe reopened in Casuarina Square, however it is understood to be run by different owners.
Bakers Delight — June 2019
Pastry giant Bakers Delight was forced to withdraw from the Northern Territory entirely due to the economic downturn.
Last year three of the popular stores closed. Bakers Delight joint chief executive Elise Gillespie said the stores had progressively become unviable.
“Unfortunately, with the economic climate in Darwin, we haven’t been able to sustain businesses,” she said.
“Across bakeries in Darwin the last few years foot traffic has dropped quite considerably. We often make it through the wet season by what we achieve through the dry.
“Particularly in the last couple of years we’re not getting the significant lift we used to get through the dry and that’s impacted our business quite significantly.”
Between 10 and 20 people were employed at each bakery.
Ms Gillespie hoped to return Bakers Delight to the Territory in the future.
“If the economy turns around and we can find local franchisees and good sites that work from a lease perspective, absolutely we’d consider returning to Darwin,” she said.
“Thank you all for your years of patronage and we’re sad to be leaving Darwin. We hope to be back, we’re not sure when but I hope it’s see you later and not farewell.”
Arnhem Club — July 2019
The remote haunt called last drinks after more than 50 years in operation.
Financial problems forced the Arnhem Club into administration on April 29, with it reportedly owing about $2 million to creditors and the Australian Taxation Office.
At the time it failed to attract a buyer to take over the iconic Nhulunbuy pub.
Administrators Henry Kazar and Lachlan Abbott said in a statement it was an unfortunate decision.
“While members, employees, creditors and the community have continued to support the club throughout the administration period, the underlying financial circumstances make it unviable for the club to continue trading any longer,” the statement said.
“While the administrators have received a number of expressions of interest for the club’s land, buildings and other assets, unfortunately none of the offers received provide a financially viable and NT Licencing compliant means for the club to continue operating in its current form.”
5 Star Supermarket Katherine — July 2019
Katherine’s first supermarket closed its doors last year after nearly a century of trading.
The 5 Star had been operating on Katherine Tce since 1926 until owner Bob Loughnan made the decision to close.
He had reportedly been struggling to keep the store open because of a dwindling customer base and feeling the pinch of the government’s alcohol policies.
Aurora Kakadu Resort — September 2019
The Aurora opened in the 1970s and grew to be one of Kakadu National Park’s oldest tourist accommodation spots.
The resort had 138-rooms and employed about 12 staff.
One of the resort’s equity partners, Tony Quatermass told the NT News Kakadu visitor numbers had taken a huge hit over recent years.
“It’s sad that we have to close but it’s expensive keeping up with the huge overheads we have to cover with power, water and electricity due to being so remote,” he said.
“Hopefully the closure of our resort creates an opportunity for somebody else to pick up and continue running it.”
Oka Malaysian and Chinese Cuisine — January 2020
This much-loved Palmerston restaurant saw the devastating impact of the loss of Inpex workers, who had made up a fair portion of customers.
Part-owner Frank Yeh said he came to Darwin with the hope of flourishing in business.
“We’re sad of course, we put in a lot of effort. We came from Melbourne looking for the new life, the better life,” he said.
“We bought a house here too to really try to settle down here.”
He said steep rents also killed his business, and continue to harm many others.
“Everything is expensive because the rent is expensive,” he said.
“The rent is the killing thing of businesses at the moment.”
He also owns Oka Teppanyaki in Parap, which did not close.
Orrcon — February 2020
The decline of the construction industry forced national steel distributor Orrcon steel to cease business in February.
Branch manager Richard Riedel said the closure was a sad ending for the Darwin business , which operated from East Arm for about 25 years.
“The market’s been down dramatically and the construction industry has fallen,” he said.
“That’s the tragedy of Darwin’s boom and bust cycle.”
The branch’s fate was secured by Orrcon’s head office, which said the economic decline made the business unviable.
Upon the announcement, six full-time employees were facing redundancies but had been given opportunities to relocate interstate.
“It’ll be hard to leave because everyone’s got lives and families here,” Mr Riedel said.
“The last employment date is in the middle of May, so we’ve got until then to sort it out”
Toyworld — February 2020
Every Top End child’s favourite place, Toyworld was one of the latest long-term Darwin businesses to close.
Toyworld franchisee Michael Lawson said the store would close at the end of February after enduring a few tough years.
“It’s a combination of the weakening economy, there’s too many shopping centres now and they’re all under performing,” he said.
“The government’s made a balls up of all this allowing this to happen.”
In the last two years he noticed a sharp decrease in sales.
“I’ve moved from the Jape centre about 15 years ago to this location and it’s been really good until recently,” he said.
“The opening of new shopping centres at Gateway and Coolalinga has changed people’s shopping habits.
“We’re underpopulated as it is and there just aren’t enough people to shop.”
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