Kelly Tanks opens up on the Coronet Milk Bar's closure

But that couldn't be further from the truth.

The owner of the beloved Summer Street lolly shop has brought joy to thousands of kids over the past eight years.

But rising rent costs at the Orange Arcade saw Ms Tanks given her four weeks notice at the end of September. She was then forced to close the shop's doors for the final time on October 22.

"I've been struggling with rent for months. I've done my very best to catch up and this summer would have put me back in the black because that's when we make our money," she said.

"I'm not sure if the owners know of how generational this shop is, but it's not their fault, it's not my fault, it's just one of those things."

That final weekend of trading was the hardest two days Ms Tanks ever had in the shop.

With kids coming up to her for a cuddle on a consistent basis, she promised herself she wouldn't cry.

It's hard to imagine there was a dry eye in sight.

"I feel guilty because I promised the kids they would always have this place to come to," Ms Tanks added.

During the past eight years, the business owner never had to go out of her way in search of employees.

That's because her customers eventually grew up with a burning desire to fill those vacancies.

"Working in the lolly shop, that's their dream job I guess," Ms Tanks said.

But it's not just the allure of the lolly shop that gets them through the doors. It's the way children and adults alike are treated when they enter.

"It's not just dollars and cents around here. I provide kids with a place to go," Ms Tanks said.

"They can come in and use a phone, they can even charge a phone and if they have an altercation downtown, they could just walk in the door and say 'Ms Kelly, I've got a problem'. I've even driven kids home.

"There is nothing like this in town."

It's those special memories Ms Tanks will miss most.

There's one memory in particular which she will never forget.

Upwards of 30 emergency services personnel were on site during the Summer Street blaze on April 5, 2021 which saw businesses and homes engulfed by flames.

Among those homes destroyed was that of Ms Tanks.

Already struggling due to the ongoing impacts of the Covid lockdowns, there was one thing that kept her going.

"I wouldn't have got through it without the kids. They were coming in here saying 'mum and I went down the street and got you this Kelly'," Ms Tanks recalled.

"It made me feel that I wasn't alone. If I never open the store again, that connection with them is the one thing I will miss. I will remember those moments for the rest of my life."

On Tuesday, Ms Tanks was busy clearing out the shop, hopeful that one day the Coronet would be back.

If she gets her way, that may be sooner than you'd expect.

"Bad things happen to good people all the time," Ms Tanks added.

"But what do you do about it? Sit in the corner and cry or put your big girl pants on and attempt to move forward one step at a time."

In the past few days alone, multiple people have reached out to say they may have a shop that would suit the Coronet, one of which is "particularly promising."

Ms Tanks confirmed her desire to reopen the Coronet and "start again" if the right location could be secured.

"I would like to see the Coronet continue. I bought it to save it," she said.

"This might be just what we needed and in 12 months time I might even laugh about it. I'm holding onto a bit of hope. The community is rallying behind us and I'm extremely grateful for that."

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