Owners gutted by cafe closure Former PM Bob Hawke enjoys a cigar at Stanley's Fish Cafe on Gouger St. Picture: Dean Martin Source: Sunday Mail (SA) SIR Donald Bradman loved its beer battered whiting with mashed potato, former prime minister Bob Hawke was a regular and other loyal customers included David Hookes and Ken "KG" Cunningham. But Adelaide eatery Stanley's Fish Caf on Gouger St has closed its doors. The iconic restaurant, which was last trading as Stanley's - The Great Aussie Fish Caf, served up its last meal on March 31. The once-vibrant eatery was a magnet for high-profile sporting and media types in the 1990s when it was owned by Sam Klementou and his late brother Bill. Mr Klementou, who bought the business in 1991, said he was sad to hear it had folded. "To be honest, I shed a tear," he said. It's sad. That's where my family first started in 1991. It was our first family business which we brought off two brothers, Andy and Stan Tsakalos, the original owners. Stan has passed away but I still talk to Andy regularly. The current owner (Jenny Longbottom) rang me recently to see if I wanted to buy back the shark that was hanging on the wall. It was personally signed for me by Greg Norman, but she was asking too much. One of Mr Klementou's favourite stories was of the day Sir Donald Bradman came to dine and announced he had "a bone to pick." English cricketing twins Alec and Eric Bedser had eaten at Stanley's the day before and Mr Klementou had asked them to sign a cricket bat. "Sir Don came in and said, `I've got a bone to pick with you'," he said. Then he asked `why haven't you asked me for a signature?' And I said: `To be honest, you walking through my door is better than a signature. Anyway, Bradman asked me to get the bat out, then he gets a texta and signs it. I treasure that very much. Recounting Stanley's heydays as "phenomenal," Mr Klementou said it was the "end of an era." "But I wasn't surprised that it did close down because it's very difficult now, especially in Gouger St," he said. The Asian restaurants are very popular there. Seafood is getting too expensive as well, there's no money in it. It's getting harder and harder. Celebrity Nicole Cornes has fond memories of dining at Stanley's years ago, including in her first dating days with husband Graham. "It really was the place to go," Ms Cornes said this week. It's a real shame. Sally Neville, chief executive officer of Restaurant and Catering SA, said the closure of Stanley's represented a shift in consumer dining trends. "People are eating out more than ever, but they want to eat out more often for less money," she said. In the seafood market which Stanley's was in, 20 years ago there were a high number of seafood restaurants that did very well and now that end of the market is less and less and businesses want to diversify. The closing is sad. It's the same as when Chesser Cellars closed last year. That was another iconic venue that had a long history of high-profile customers and was still highly-regarded within the industry and with the public, but not enough to sustain it.