KEY POINTS:
A K Rd institution which has become as well- known for its loyal, bohemian following as for its coffee will serve its last flat white on Sunday.
Twelve years after it opened its doors, Brazil Cafe, at 256 Karangahape Road, will "close down forever".
"We feel it's done its dash and really want to finish on a high note," said Dominic Taylor, who owns the coffee house with his older brother Simon.
"It's really sad, I think a lot of people will be saddened by it, as it has been a big part of many lives." Mr Taylor, who has worked in other cafes and restaurants on K Rd since his early 20s, said the brothers ventured out to create a cafe that served great coffee, but they ended up with a lot more.
"We unwittlingly created a family base [for our customers]," he said.
"There are even a few people who come in who were here right from the start."
Taylor said he "fell in love with the building", which used to house a fruit store and seasonal fireworks outlet, and has had to do very little work on it since opening Brazil.
At 23 years old it was "a relief when the doors finally opened" to his first business venture in 1995, the Newton resident said.
Along with his brother, girlfriend Lili Ahken has also helped with the day-to-day running of the coffee bar.
Tim Krishna, who has frequented the cafe for the past eight years for his morning latte, is "outraged" that his favourite coffee joint is closing.
"K Rd is losing its soul," Mr Krishna, who recently moved from K Rd to Sandringham, said.
"It is a place that all types of people can go to. I often met people there who had fallen on hard times.
Tourists often stopped at the cafe because it was an attraction in its own right."
The Taylor brothers are tight-lipped about their next phase in life, only guaranteeing that they "definitely" won't be opening another cafe.
This Sunday, September 30, will be the last day of service for Brazil Cafe, which is not being on-sold.
