Owaka starving for choice after eatery closed

Lianna Latta, manager of Sue's Shed cafe is disappointed that owner Sue Ross has decided to close the popular cafe. Photo by Glenn Conway.
Lianna Latta, manager of Sue's Shed cafe is disappointed that owner Sue Ross has decided to close the popular cafe. Photo by Glenn Conway.
The doors have closed unexpectedly on a well- known Owaka eatery, leaving a sour taste in the mouths of its six staff and the town with one shop fewer for the growing number of tourists passing through.

And the signs of it re-opening do not look promising at this stage.

Sue's Shed, still known by many by its former name, the Catlins Diner, has shut after operating for more than 40 years near the town's northern entrance.

The present owner, Sue Ross, bought the business a year ago but has moved to Australia, leaving the day-to-day management in the hands of Lianne Latta for the last six months.

Ms Ross, when reached in Australia, was asked if she could give an explanation for why she had chosen to close the shop.

‘‘There are a lot of things I might want to say but not through the media.'' She declined to comment further.

Mrs Latta was clearly frustrated and angry but accepted she was ‘‘only following orders'' to close the shop.

‘‘It's a real shame, to be honest, but it is out of my hands. We had absolutely no idea this was coming. It's a sad day for Owaka,'' she said when contacted.

Ms Ross gave no specific reason for closing the store but it is believed she wanted to concentrate on other business interests across the Tasman.

Ironically, the decision to close comes near the end of what had been a hugely successful summer season with record number of visitors passing through Owaka on their way around the Catlins.

Sue's Shed offered snacks and grocery items for visitors and locals as well as a large dining room and the town's only internet cafe.

That loss in particular would irritate tourists, who often came to the store to check their e-mails while on holiday, Mrs Latta said.

When the Otago Daily Times visited on the last day of business, there were more than a dozen people inside, many eating their breakfast, while the three internet terminals were all occupied with visitors sending e-mails to their friends and family back home.

The business opened in 1965 and has been at one time or another a fish and chip shop and tearooms, but in more recent times the business was a cafe and gallery.

Its closure means Owaka is left with just two eating establishments - the Catlins Inn and Lumberjack Cafe - although some food can be bought at the local service station.

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