Angler closes: Popular Adelaide restaurant is forced to shut as owner reveals reason for shock closure

A cult seafood restaurant has made the heartbreaking decision to close their doors permanently due to soaring costs.

Angler, which is located in Stirling in Adelaide's south-east, will stop trading on Sunday.

Co-founder Amanda Prance told Daily Mail Australia the move was made because fewer customer were coming in. 

'We've been here for five years and [we are] not renewing the lease due to the massive drop in local customer traffic,' she said. 

Ms Prance said the business would continue to operate in the Adelaide Central Market.

Ms Prance took to social media last week to announce it had become difficult to keep the restaurant open. 

'Unfortunately, our business is just not viable in this location,' she wrote. 

She said the restaurant had been struggling for some time due to rising rent and utility bills.

'Rent has gone up every year…we've probably seen a ten per cent increase in electricity bills and gas is an issue for us.'

Several eateries and corner shops in the area have closed in recent years due to reduced foot traffic. 

Locals are still reeling from a massive fire that damaged the Woolworths store inside the Stirling Shopping Village in October 2023. 

The blaze also damaged a number of businesses nearby including a butcher shop, which has led to the decline in the number of shoppers visiting the area. 

'It is important not to ignore the 'slow death' of shops which were once a permanent fixture of our community,' Ms Prance wrote. 

'While we can choose to blame our circumstances or defer responsibility, the simple truth is that local business cannot thrive without people in our community'.  

Angler was established in 2019 by Ms Prance along with chef Sam Prance Smith. 

The restaurant was known for serving sustainably sourced local seafood and became the first restaurant in South Australia to try dry-age fish. 

The cooking technique is used to extract moisture from seafood to create a better taste. 

Dozens of social media users said they were disappointed that the restaurant had to close and lamented the loss of shops and eateries in the area. 

'Such sad news! It is crazy that such an amazing establishment is not thriving,' one wrote. 

'I'm so sorry to hear this. We've lost way too many businesses here, and the main street is growing more and more boring by the day,' another person wrote.  

'When will the community open their eyes and start supporting local businesses,' a third added. 

Ms Prance thanked staff and all the customers who have supported the restaurant. 

She said the business will work with seafood wholesaler Fair Seafood at the Adelaide Central Markets and they are investing in other areas.