After more than 50 years in business Forwell Super Variety on King Street in Waterloo is closing its doors, but it will leave many with good memories.

Both customers and staff have fond memories of the store, which has evolved as the city grew around it.

When the store opened in 1960, the area around it at King Street and University Avenue was in the country.

Owner Bonnie Forwell-Currie says "There were still cattle across the street and this was such a going concern…grocery stores were closed nights and weekends and banks were closed nights and weekends. It was a destination spot."

Her father Joe opened the business 52 years ago, but now she says it's the time is right to sell, "It was time for this beautiful store to retire."

The store is well-known to young people in the area, as a place that would help out in times of need.

"If a kid didn't get his allowance yet or he was short on funds, or her, they came in and got some bread. They always came and paid him back. It was amazing but if you couldn't afford to pay him back that was okay too," Forwell-Currie says.

Many of the employees have been family or friends. Kaylee Gray remembers her visit when she was just three-years-old.

"After church we went out for breakfast and if I ate all my breakfast I got to come to the store and go down the candy aisle and pick something that I wanted."

Many customers also became regulars at the shop, like Terry John.

"I've always lived downtown Waterloo so this was always a store you could buy anything you needed if you ran short on milk or bread this was a handy store to come to," John says.

The store has been a mainstay for area university students like Alex Shakod who says "[It's] pretty handy. It has everything that you need for last-minute purchases and all the knick knacks for every holiday coming up or celebration."

The property has been sold and the store will close at the end of March.

Forwell-Currie says "All the staff over the years, they were the best and the customers, you can't beat them, so thank-you Waterloo for 52 years of really good business."