After nine years of serving locals with locally grown and healthy food, West End’s Plenty has closed for good as of the end of July 2022. The owner admits that the decision-making process “was tough.”
On 31 July 2022, Plenty served its final batch of meals. The business folded up after months of struggling with the impact of the pandemic coupled with staff shortage and the devastation of the recent severe weather event. Unable to bring the business back into the black, owner Karyn Hodges decided that it was time to close the cafe for good.
“Running a small business takes courage,” her heartfelt farewell message on their social media read. She stated that “choosing to close took emotional fortitude.” She had to set aside sentimentality, acknowledge that an energy has run its course, and convince herself that “perseverance wasn’t the only honourable option.”
“We are not walking away from Plenty, so much as wrapping her in a loving embrace and telling her to rest in peace. We’re proud of what we achieved. We ran a gentle business. We nourished meaningful relationships with small scale farmers and producers.
“But most of all, we built a family of loyal hard working hospo workers who believed in our ethos and showed up for it every day. And we had fun doing it. So much fun.”
Plenty used to occupy a refurbished warehouse at 284 Montague Road in West End. The cafe’s kitchen served a small menu of brunch fare whilst its retail shelves were stacked with fresh produce, artisan bread, sauces, condiments, jams, marmalades, and organic pressed olive oil.
