In another blow to Adelaide’s hospitality scene, Sarah’s Sisters Sustainable Cafe in Semaphore has announced its closure today.
Known for its delicious vegan takes on seasonal favourites and its commitment to community, Sarah’s has been a beloved fixture in Semaphore for the past four years. The cafe’s history, however, stretches back an impressive 45 years, with a legacy rooted in sustainability and community engagement.
The announcement, made on the cafe’s social media, shared the team’s gratitude for the support received over the years:
“To all our Sisters, It is with a heavy heart we announce today that we have closed our doors for the last time. Thank you to all for the love and support not just over the past four years but for Sarah’s entire 45-year history. Sarah’s Sisters will always hold such a special place in all of our hearts. We are sorry we were not able to see you all for a final coffee and meal but we are grateful to still be Semaphore locals and we hope to see most of you around our beautiful community. To all of our staff past and present, our neighbours and customers turned friends, our suppliers and the wider community – thank you for everything. We are so proud of what we achieved and are grateful to have shared it with you all. Please stay tuned for future updates and photo dumps, Sarah’s will live on in us forever. Get in touch over our socials or at 0456 037 666, we’d love to hear from you. With big love, your sissy’s – Rhett, Courtney, Ani, Lani, Hana and Molly”
Since the late 1970s, Sarah’s Sisters and its predecessors have championed a ‘think global, act local’ ethos, striving to create a sustainable business model. Housed in a 100-year-old butcher’s shop, the cafe prioritised minimising energy and food waste while maximising community benefit. Its unique octagonal dining room, surrounded by a lush garden centre, made the most of passive heating and cooling.
The cafe’s roots can be traced back to the original Sarah’s in Hutt Street, Adelaide, a heritage building saved and repurposed in 1978. It quickly gained a reputation for its simple yet refined vegetarian cuisine and fine wines. Its offshoot, Mrs Giffords, became one of Adelaide’s first cafes with a wine bar licence in the 1980s.
Both Sarah’s and Mrs Giffords helped establish a new genre of cafe, focused on fresh, local, and seasonal food, simple cooking, and relaxed service. They were Adelaide’s first boulevard cafes, supporting local businesses like Coopers and Pirramimma Wines. Notably, the original Sarah’s was the only cafe at the time to embrace the then-revolutionary screw cap, selling a significant quantity of Pirramimma 1980 Riesling with this new-concept closure.
Sarah’s Sisters at Semaphore was more than just a cafe. It was a hub for the community, hosting art exhibitions, live music, and community events. It also participated in school-based vocational training and the Sema4Seasons food, wine, arts, and music program.
The closure of Sarah’s Sisters marks the end of an era for Semaphore and the Adelaide hospitality scene. However, its legacy of sustainability, community engagement, and delicious vegetarian food will undoubtedly live on.
More News
