The St. Albert Cheese Co-operative is permanently closing the doors of Cheddar Et Cetera — perhaps more commonly known as the Orléans cheese shop with the fake cow mounted on its roof — as of May 1.

The cow has been up on the roof for about eight years. (CBC News)

The store made headlines in 2010 when city bylaw officers told the manager he was violating a rule prohibiting banners and other promotional objects from being placed above the store's roofline.

Hundreds of Ottawans signed a petition to save the cow, and the city eventually gave the store a pass.

Two full-time staff and six part-time staff work at the store, and were notified of the pending closure on April 5, the St. Albert Cheese Co-operative said in a media release.

Coun. Bob Monette went to bat for the cow in 2010, telling CBC News, "we need to show some compromise here." (CBC News)

The company will try to find positions for affected staff elsewhere in the company, and anyone else will be offered severance and job placement services.

"This decision was not taken lightly, but the senior management team deemed it necessary due to the end of the lease, as well as the numerous successful retail locations that are currently selling St-Albert products throughout the Orléans area," the company's release states.