Gore Street Café, which punched consistently above its weight for three-and-a-half years to become a Sault cultural anchor, is now out like a light.
Known for its market nights, pay-what-you-can pricing, eclectic programming and gutsy refusal to serve pop, the tiny eatery held a closing party Wednesday night.
"Running this place has helped me through a lot of awful times. But it's also brought many wonderful times," owner Nicole Dyble said before locking up for the last time.
"This place is what it is because of the people that come here."
Dyble estimates the café has hosted somewhere between 200 and 300 musical acts and artists since it started in January 2015.
On April 30 her landlord, Darcy Lavallee of Enersphere Inc. served written notice that he had other plans for 164 Gore St. and she was to vacate the premises by July 1.
While she's done with Gore Street Café, Dyble is already planning a comeback downtown.
"It's really inspired me, the stuff that's happened here. I do want to continue to do this kind of work, holding space for people to come together. I hope in the next year or so, I'll be opening something else, even better," she told a packed house Wednesday night.
"Not Gore Street Café 2.0, because we're saying goodbye to Gore Street Café tonight, but something a little different but with a lot of the same good things."
"It will be done, as this place has always been, in consultation and collaboration with the people that come and hang out there," Dyble said.
"I'm going to continue working a bit at Shabby Motley. I've started a new promotions business called Dryer Fire. I've booked some shows at Outspoken Brewing, I have a show coming up at Shabby Motley and hopefully some other venues around the city. I do hope to open another place in the next year or so. Definitely downtown."