Two Rakaia cafes and gift shops are closing, leaving a dearth of meeting spots for locals and tourists in the town.
Salmon Tales Cafe, in a commercial building on State Highway 1 near the town’s famous salmon statue and public toilets, is being forced out as the building is sold.
Rakaia Country Arts Co Op Gift Shop located in the building is also having to permanently close its doors.
It is believed the building will become a new home for the town’s Four Square. Supermarket chain owner Foodstuffs South Island confirmed it had bought the building. A spokesperson said the company was ‘‘working through options for the site, which includes discussions with the existing tenants’’.
The cafe is expected to have its last day trading on Christmas Eve, while the gift shop’s last day is December 22.
The second cafe closing is Little Red Cafe, which had a gift shop attached. Located behind Salmon Tales, across the road, the business had its last trading day on Friday.
Coincidentally, it is for the same reason. The building has sold, understood in this case to an automotive repair shop operator.
Melissa Gaze-Inia, who has the Salmon Tales Cafe lease in partnership with her husband Willie Inia, said they were saddened by having to close. While the couple had the business listed for sale, it was a shock to see it now closing entirely.
‘‘It’s a community spot really,’’ she said.
The cafe had been a family business, one they had enjoyed working in for the last six-and-a-half years.
Rakaia Country Arts Co Op Gift Shop posted on Facebook about having to close, after operating for 18 years.
‘‘So sad, we’re losing a great gift shop and a wonderful eatery. Nowhere special to go in Rakaia anymore,’’ a woman commented.
‘‘That is a sad, sad thing for Rakaia, Salmon Tales and the gift shop are an icon for the town, no reason for the tourists to stop anymore,’’ a man commented.
Rakaia Community Association chair Neil Pluck echoed their thoughts.
‘‘It will be a loss,’’ he said.
Many clubs and groups from the town used the cafe as a place to meet up informally, as well as hold functions. And many tourists stopped by.
‘‘It’s a cracker wee tourism spot,’’ Pluck said.
John Moorren of the former Little Red Cafe said the cafe had served many loyal customers and hungry tourists over its five years.
While saddened at having no other option but to close, he and wife Sue were philosophical.
‘‘If you put yourselves in the shoes of the owner of the building, they are totally entitled to sell it to whoever they want. And the new owner is totally entitled to use it for whatever they want,’’ Moorren said.
He was not aware of any other cafes in the town on the western side of the highway.
