Sina Klug and her husband Jacques Dumont built the institution from humble beginnings, starting off with a stall at the Bondi Farmers Markets.<\/p>\n
But after 10 years, the devastated business owner told news.com.au that the escalating economic pressures simply became too much to bare.<\/p>\n
\u201cI honestly feel broken, I feel empty,\u201d Mrs Klug said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s just not possible anymore to afford these ingredients without having to charge $15 for a single doughnut.<\/p>\n
\u201cI couldn\u2019t do that with my conscience and no one could afford that either.\u201d<\/p>\n
The heartbreaking closure is a devastating blow given the bakery\u2019s booming early success.<\/p>\n
After launching at the markets, the gluten-free business quickly became a viral sensation, expanding across Balmain, Surry Hills, and eventually Dulwich Hill.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
But now, the rising cost of living has caused yet another business casualty, forcing the \u201cbroken\u201d owners to close for good.<\/p>\n
The beloved baker explained that small business owners are constantly being \u201csqueezed from all sides\u201d and often suffer in silence.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn hospitality, we\u2019re forced to always have our game face on to always smile,\u201d she explained.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe put that face on so much for others that it\u2019s really hard to actually admit that you feel defeated.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mounting living pressures <\/p>\n
Despite immense community support, Mrs Klug said Nutie simply ran out of margins.<\/p>\n
She explained that the highly specialised nature of gluten-free baking made them uniquely vulnerable to skyrocketing supply costs.<\/p>\n
\u201cInstead of $20 for a bag of flour, we were paying $140 for a box of almond meal,\u201d she revealed.<\/p>\n
Alongside the increasing ingredient and supply costs, the bakery was also being battered by rising electricity bills and wages.<\/p>\n
Changes to regulations, such as credit card surcharges<\/a> being scrapped, also made a real difference to a business already running on tight budgets.<\/p>\n On top of that, the national cost-of-living crisis drastically shifted customer spending habits.<\/p>\n \u201cOur regulars that used to come in daily now come maybe two or three times a week,\u201d Mrs Klug said.<\/p>\n \u201cBut they don\u2019t go to full boxes anymore, they just get one item,\u201d she continued.<\/p>\n \u201cSo many people also make their coffee at home now, because it\u2019s hard for them to just afford their rent and their basic groceries.<\/p>\n \u201cSupporting a small business or just eating out is a luxury now. And that\u2019s a shift we feel every day.\u201d<\/p>\n While Nutie has closed, the couple will pour their remaining efforts into their separate vegan bakery, Miss Sina <\/a>in Marrickville.<\/p>\n Community outpour<\/p>\n Taking to social media to announce the closure, Mrs Klug admitted that the end of Nutie was \u201cnot a choice\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cThis isn\u2019t something we wanted. It\u2019s something we had to do,\u201d the post read.<\/p>\n Reflecting on their 10-year journey, she described the bakery as a \u201csafe place for people who often couldn\u2019t just walk into any bakery and feel included\u201d.<\/p>\n Mrs Klug stressed the closure was \u201cnever about lack of support\u201d from their loyal customers who stood in queues and celebrated birthdays with them for a decade.<\/p>\n The devastating news sparked an outpouring of grief from loyal customers and fellow business owners who viewed the bakery as a \u201csecond home\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cSuch a sad reality for so many businesses,\u201d one person wrote.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Surry Hills store was one of the first places I discovered upon moving to Sydney, it definitely helped make me feel at home here,\u201d said a second.<\/p>\n \u201cTimes are really so tough at the moment. Sending you lots of love for brighter, creative days ahead,\u201d chimed in a third.<\/p>\n \u201cYou have built something truly special (and delicious). The only bakery that attended to all of my group of friends\u2019 dietaries. Forever in our hearts,\u201d another commented.<\/p>\n Others, including small businesses alike, said they deeply resonated with the heartfelt words.<\/p>\n \u201cAs a fellow business owner I feel for you and totally understand,\u201d one person shared.<\/p>\n \u201cBusiness is tough. Long hours, endless costs while still needing to push through another day.<\/p>\n \u201cOften hospitality is not seen as an important part of life because it\u2019s just food but no one really understands what it takes.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhen most of us slowly disappear then they\u2019ll ask \u2018where was that place that made all those delicious goods?\u2019 By then it will be too late,\u201d said another.<\/p>\n Mrs Klug is urging all Aussies to fight for the corner shops, florists, and cafes that make a suburb \u201cfeel like a community instead of just a postcode\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cCome by, say hi, give your favourite spots a bit of love \u2014 not just us, all of them,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Read related topics:Sydney<\/a>