Geelong kitchenware shop Chef’s Essentials to close

Owners of a kitchenware shop on Ryrie St say the cost of living and CBD parking have made business “harder and harder”.

Chef's Essentials owners of more than 25 years Laura and Hugo Rugge are hanging up the aprons for the final time. Picture: Alison Wynd

After more than 25 years in Geelong’s CBD, a much-loved kitchenware store has announced it will close its doors.

Hugo Rugge and wife Laura opened Chef’s Essentials on Ryrie St in 1999 after successfully opening a store in South Melbourne.

That store closed in 2003 with their focus shifting solely to their Geelong shop, which is set to close in April.

“It’s a bit emotional, it’s our life’s work,” Mr Rugge said.

“It’s great, but it just had to come to an end.”

Mr Rugge said ongoing cost-of-living pressures were central to the pair’s decision.

“Business is just becoming more complicated and expensive,” he said.

“We just could just do without the level of stress, we’re looking at semi-retiring.

“Covid was actually really good for us, we were lucky in Geelong, but after that it just got harder and harder.

“Everything adds up, business is not easy these days.”

Mr Rugge also put some of the blame on the CBD’s parking prices.

“The parking is killing us, it’s killing the CBD,” he said.

He said many factors had added up over the years, with a rental increase “the nail in the coffin”.

The couple was living in Ocean Grove when they opened their CBD store.

“Geelong has been very kind to us,” Mr Rugge said.

“They’ve been really supporting us pretty well, it’s been great.

“But it has become harder and harder and tougher and trickier.”

Mr Rugge said the support from the community following the closure announcement had been “massive”.

Mr Rugge has already planned what’s next, too.

“We’ve got a couple of grandkids, Laura will be helping them out,” he said.

“I’ve already been driving school buses for Mcharrys for the last seven years, and I really enjoy that, so I’ll be asking to do more of that.”

A storewide clearance sale is running until the shop’s closure.

Originally published as Geelong kitchenware shop Chef’s Essentials to close