My Kingdom for a Horse cafe grinds to a halt
EXCLUSIVE: My Kingdom for a Horse, a cafe at the forefront of Adelaide’s brunch boom, is closing its Wright Street doors this month. Find out what’s next.
Pioneering Adelaide brunch café My Kingdom for a Horse in Wright Street will close its doors on June 21, as owner Emily Raven warns the traditional café model has become “increasingly unsustainable”. But – the brand isn’t going anywhere.
The original 120-seat venue was at the forefront of Adelaide’s brunch boom when it opened 12 years ago, and was a leader in the city’s house roasted coffee scene.
Raven, who has 35 years’ hospitality experience, revealed to SALIFE that she would not be renewing the lease, and would instead “close that chapter on a high and focus on what is to come, with a range of exciting new products and brands”. 
The business has invested in a new centralised production kitchen and roastery to supply its hospitality network, including My Kingdom for a Horse’s takeaway-style offshoots in King William, Waymouth and Pirie streets, as well as sister restaurant, A Prayer for the Wild at Heart.
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Two new smaller café sites focussing on ready-to-go food and pastries will open later this year.
“Wright Street was our first home, and I am incredibly proud of it and the contribution we have made to our local community,” Raven said.
“However, the industry is changing. We’re seeing huge closures across Australia with this business model and we need to innovate.”
Increased costs of living and produce, plus operational costs and compliance regulations all form part of the issue for “large format, high volume licensed cafes”, she said.
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“The dine-in, table service model is dying,” she said.
“It is a very cost sensitive time for our customers, and we share the pressure they are feeling from cost of living and fuel cost increases.
“It’s also about what people want. It’s important for us to adapt and recognise that new emerging markets look beyond traditional dining models.”
Long-term employees Gennie Chee, who specialises in coffee roasting, and executive chef Stéphane Brizard have joined Raven in the restructured company, as well as Parisian pâtissier Guillaume Sebastien. Together, they now operate under the name Round Table Supply Co.
Raven, who has won multiple awards for her contribution to the industry and was named National Small Employer of the Year at the 2021 Australian Training Awards, said it was not her intention to complain about the state of hospitality – rather, it was about innovating in the face of change.
“We’re taking everything we’ve learned over the last decade and distilled it into a smarter, more focused, and more sustainable business,” she said.
“I wouldn’t be human if I didn’t feel sad about leaving Wright St. We’ve managed to complete a whole bunch of apprentices and trainees… we’ve seen people’s children grow up; people who come in every day.
“We’re still part of that community and we will reappear in that part of the city.”
My Kingdom for a Horse in Wright Street joins other recent CBD closures including Valentino’s 101 in Grenfell Street, while Fino Vino in Flinders St was recently sold by respected hospitality stalwarts David Swain and Sharon Romeo.
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