Following in the footsteps of its sister store in Civic, the Holy Grail Kingston is calling final curtain this Friday. Officially it’s still a profitable operation, whose bottom line has been hurt by the government and it’s thieving taxmen.

Unofficially, those familiar with the place know that even years ago, it was barely breaking even, perhaps explaining how run down it was. Since then, there was a dispute over the lease for the building, findings against the owner for underpaying staff, and a well publicised faux pas about the intellectually disabled.

While the owner may tell stories of capital hill’s elite dropping buy, sharing their secrets, I suspect those days are long past, as more modern venues have attracted the younger crowds away. But then, ‘old’ Kingston as a whole isn’t doing too well these days. A revitalisation can’t come soon enough.