It’s time to say goodbye.

Hi everyone,

Time sure flies when you’re having fun - and that has been a major part of having a small business in our Parkdale strip.

We decided to open Parkigrocer because we wanted local farmers to have their seasonal produce enjoyed by locals. We chose Parkdale because that’s where we live and we always wanted a shop like ours locally.

Neither of us had any retail experience, and we learned much about farming from the farmers themselves.

The staff in our shop are like family, and they were perfect at forming the strong community bond we hope to create with our shop - the same bond we have with Parkdale.

We wanted everyone to feel welcome, and we were always there for you to come in and share whatever it was that was on your mind. The place where everyone knows your name.

Holli and I have formed a special bond with many people in our community since opening - some we are now lucky enough to call friends.

We have coffee with farmers and their families, share New Year's and Christmas celebrations and never did I think I would meet a grower in a carpark at 3am because they were driving through our area with avocados - but we did - on numerous occasions.

During our time at the shop, we also spearheaded a campaign to Save Parkdale from the skyrail solution for level crossing removal. This was a very hectic time as we navigated a new business, community group, politics, our children, our family and our health.

This period allowed us to develop many new relationships, and we aimed to give a voice to the people who felt they had none. This, I believe, we did.

To say the last 3 years have been eventful is an understatement.

COVID was a time for us all to reflect on how important interpersonal relationships are. Sometimes, it’s not until something is taken away that we realise how important it was - and being prevented from seeing friends, loved ones and family, special occasions, or even just going for extended walks made life challenging for so many.

Level crossing removal has also presented challenges. The lack of car parking, difficult mobility and closures of roads and thoroughfares have made it difficult to travel around Parkdale - especially for those who find mobility difficult.

Interest rates have continued to rise for a sustained period now, which means that people have less disposable income than previously - and this impacts businesses and households of all types.

Despite these issues, what forced our decision was health and family.

While we loved 99% of having a shop like ours in the suburb we are lucky enough to call home; the 1% gave us pause to reevaluate what’s most important in our lives.

We don’t want to look back in 10 years and say that we should have done this or we should have done that. We decided to make those memories now - while our health still allows us to do so.

We decided that health and family are more important than anything else - and that decision told us it was time to close Parkigrocer.

From the end of August, we have decided to travel with our kids and make memories we hope will last with them and us forever.

We’ve discussed our plans with many who’ve come into the shop over the past couple of weeks, and many have asked to see photos and details about our travels. So, soon we will rename this group to something that reflects our travels - and we can share that together.

We want to say a big thank you to our staff since we opened, fellow business owners in Parkdale for their guidance, our families and friends for all the extra time and effort you have put into assisting us and to our community and customers for your continued patronage, support and friendship.

We close at 5pm today, 30th June 2023 for the last time. But, hopefully, this won’t be the last we see of you.

It has been an absolute honour, privilege and pleasure to be part of our local community, and we thank you all from the bottom of our hearts to have allowed us to live this dream with you.

All the best.

Dave and Holli.