Sturks tobacco shop – established in 1793 – closes its doors after 226 years due to lockdown
Sturks tobacco shop in Cape Town has closed its doors after 226 years due to the Covid-19 lockdown.
Sturks tobacco shop in Greenmarket Square, Cape Town has been forced to shut its doors after 226 years.
The shop first opened its doors in 1793. The familiar shop has sold cigarettes, tobacco, and all other related items for many years.
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However, due to the ban on cigarettes and tobacco products - the shop could no longer keep its doors open.
The tobacco ban under lockdown regulations has tremendously affected this renowned business in Cape Town.
Over the centuries, the store survived many moments in South African and world history, including both World Wars, the Spanish Flu, and Apartheid.
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The shop's owner, Diane Chakim, joined the Scenic Drive with Rian to share memories about the shop and how the national lockdown affected her business.
"The shop is closed but the Sturks brand is not dead.
"We will definitely reopen the shop someday - but not in the city."
According to Chakim, the area is also not safe anymore. "We will open somewhere else again," Chakim told The Scenic Drive.
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