AFTER drought and bushfires decimated her drive-by trade, COVID-19 has proved to be the final straw for Alyson Yager.
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Ms Yager has run the 2 Fat Ladies Cafe on the Mitchell Highway at Lucknow for the past nine-and-a-half years.
The cafe has been a popular stop for Bathurst residents travelling to and from Orange for almost a decade, but Ms Yager closed her doors for the last time on Friday after losing an estimated 93 per cent of her business turnover.
She has recently been limited to selling takeaway coffee and basic food.
"The strength of the business in the past has been the location, but the location has been the biggest downfall recently because people haven't been allowed to travel," Ms Yager said.
"And because of the location, I couldn't go to the delivery option."
A popular destination lunch spot for women's groups, aged care and disability organisations, Ms Yager said she would miss her customers.
"I love my customers and it's been a pleasure to serve them all," she said.
"I ran the business based on what I would like my experience to be - I didn't just have customers, I had friends who came to visit and I charged them for food."
With a background in sales and recruitment, Ms Yager said she was ready to try a "normal job" going forward.
The 2 Fat Ladies clothing store next door to the cafe will continue to trade.
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