COUSINS George and Evan Kakulas, third generation Kakulas Bros owners, forked out $5.2 million to buy back their eclectic William Street store in Northbridge and plan to ensure it hits its 100-year milestone.

“George and I are running the business and it made sense we should own the property,” Evan said, adding that a public auction was the fairest way to buy out minority family members.

“We wanted to continue, to honour the memory of our fathers and uncles, the three brothers (George, Stavros and Michael) and our grandfather who started this in 1929,” he said.

However, the auction publicity generated by selling agents JLL, set off a tidal wave of public consternation about the longevity of the store, with its trademark open sacks displaying dried beans and lentils, herbs, nuts and spices.

“We had such an amazing response from customers and the general public. I could not believe the interest. I was staggered,” Evan said.

Despite selling agent JLL Tom Nattrass insisting the building housing the spice and global food emporium would be sold with vacant possession, George said there was never any doubt that he and his cousin would buy the 185-187 William Street building, on its 620sqm-plus site.

The duo are keen to pass the business on to their children.

Evan said family tradition dictated “no one retires”, with Uncle Mick, who was 101 when he died in 2014, working the cash registers well into his 90s. Kakulas Bros, which resisted electronic payments partly out of deference to Uncle Mick — “What is this Eftpos?” — remained cash only until a year ago, when the convenience of tap and go made resistance futile.

“We try to keep an old-world charm here,” George said.

So what started with Greek newspapers, olives, olive oil, lentils and chickpeas imported from the cosmopolitan Egyptian port of Alexandria has evolved. Over time the salted fish that appealed to older generations has been replaced by healthy, super and organic foods but the deli, the coffee roaster, the old-world charm, attention to detail, service, resistance to atmospheric sterility and the desire for simplicity trades on.