Toronto boutique music shop Cask Music, which buys, sells, trades and consigns new and used guitars, as well as other performance equipment — in addition to offering services and repairs — has announced that it will be closing its Leslieville brick-and-mortar location after 12 years.
Owner Steve Witt announced the news on social media, explaining to customers that, since he no longer lives in Toronto, he can't provide the store with the resources it needs to thrive. "The city of Toronto has also quickly become less friendly to small business than it once was, but that's a larger discussion..." he added in a FAQ about closing the Queen Street East storefront.
Beginning mid-March, Cask Music will switch over to fully online operations. "This is the end of an era, but it isn't goodbye! It's just a change of scenery, and a very necessary next step for the business," Witt wrote. "I'm excited to keep serving our loyal customers and friends, just in a different way. Our website and social media will be undergoing some exciting maintenance and improvements to make things smoother for everybody."