A Darlinghurst cafe whose owner refused to hire a black barista appears to have closed as customers give it a wide berth.

The Forbes & Burton cafe reportedly shut its doors last week and witnesses confirmed it remained closed on Tuesday, with its phone going unanswered. The store has been open since 2009 and normally operated daily.

Lights out: the Forbes & Burton cafe was still closed on Tuesday afternoon. Credit:Thomas Poberezny-Lynch

Owner Steven He confirmed last week he had declined to hire barista Nilson Dos Santos because the Brazilian-born Australian was black.

"My customers are white. I don't think they'd like to have their coffee made by black people," Mr He reportedly told Mr Dos Santos during the job interview.