Liquidators from Anthony Matthews & Associates have been appointed to the operators of Strathalbyn restaurant Hammer ‘N’ Tongs.

The Commercial Road venue which blended café culture with a bar vibe and regularly hosted locals, tourists and motorcyclists, announced on Sunday March 3 that it was the last day of trading.

In a Facebook post, the owners said they shared the announcement “with broken hearts”.

“Today was the last day of trading for Hammer N Tongs,” the post said.

“This decision has been made suddenly and has been extremely tough for us, we are still trying to comprehend and are absolutely devastated.

“We are so proud of what we have achieved in this short time. Going from a local bank to a successful buzzing café with nightlife. We knew starting a small business would be hard, unfortunately we opened two weeks before the pandemic which made things even harder.”

The business said it has since faced “hurdle after hurdle”, and cited road works and staffing issues as reasons behind the restaurant’s demise.

“The start-up costs paired with ongoing pressures have become too much to continue, we never envisioned our journey ending like this and are shattered,” Hammer N Tongs said.

“Thank you to everyone who has supported us along the way, our staff, our loyal customers and our wonderful suppliers, you’ve all played an important role.”

Hammer N Tongs’ closure follows a spate of hospitality businesses collapsing or closing in Adelaide in recent months, including Folklore Café, Enzo’s, Extra Chicken Salt, Crack Kitchen, Cherry Darlings and more.

Liquidator Anthony Matthews from Anthony Matthews & Associates was approached for comment. He said employees had been paid and his firm was exploring the company’s options.