01/04/2022
The General Merchant is closing!
It is with great regret that we inform all our loyal patrons that, after 4.5 years we will be closing after lunch on Thursday April 14 (Easter Thursday)
Many people will be aware of the challenging trading conditions that most businesses have endured over the last few years and it has certainly had an impact on The General Merchant. As most would be aware, we have had the business and building on the market for over a year, hoping that someone younger and with more energy would seize the opportunity to take The General Merchant to the next level.
Our current main issue lies with lack of experienced kitchen staff (an industry wide problem). Joesie, our head chef, is leaving soon to have her first baby and we wish her well. She has been with us since we opened the doors. Unfortunately this leaves us in a difficult position in the kitchen with no head chef and only a couple of casual staff, who are more than capable, but due to their circumstances, are unable to commit to longer hours. We have contemplated reducing our hours further and only opening for coffee and cake etc, however this would not be viable. Plus old age and health issues have caught up!
Carole, Pip and I would like to thank all of our regular customers and apologise for letting you down. We really have enjoyed the interaction and friendships with our local and visiting patrons and thank them for the regular positive comments we receive. One of our motivations for starting The General Merchant was to provide Inverell with a venue that suited the needs of a large range of clientele. We believe that this we have achieved.
We also would like to thank the many staff who have been on this journey with us. Without doubt they have been able to bring the kind of service we wanted to offer at The General Merchant. Our customers often commend us on the level of service our staff deliver.
So please, if you know of anyone who could continue to bring The General Merchant experience to Inverell, let me know. We would be happy to discuss the options. In our opinion, the amenity of Inverell will be the poorer with the lack of The General Merchant
