For many folks, a trip down the south shore of the Bay of Islands just won’t be the same anymore.
Plenty of people, locals and tourists alike, often made a point of stopping into Marlaine’s Tidewatcher Café for a bite to eat on the harbourside deck or for a browse through the crafts available at the seasonal Lark Harbour business.
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In February, the café announced on its Facebook page that it would not be re-opening this spring after a run of 32 years and is now permanently closed.
Neither Marlaine Childs, nor her husband who technically owns the shop named after her, wanted to do an interview about the reasons why the café has ceased operating. She would only say there is no one particular reason, but a combination of factors and that it was a tough decision to make.
The Facebook announcement has been followed up with by a long series of posts from well-wishers and patrons expressing sadness at no longer being able to look forward to their next visit to Marlaine’s.
In the post and subsequent replies, Childs said she will miss the café’s loyal customers and the busloads of tourists that accounted for the estimated 20,000 customers that visited the shop each season. She also thanked all of the staff who worked there through the years.
“It’s all good,” she posted in response to one comment. “Things change all the time — it is the one thing we can all count on.”
In another post, Childs does reference that the property may be sold eventually.
