Premises of Lindt Cafe in Martin Place up for lease seven years after terrorist siege

The Lindt Cafe premises in Martin Place, Sydney.

The premises of Sydney’s Lindt Cafe has become available for lease nearly seven years after a terrorist siege that ended in a deadly shootout with police.

It follows an announcement from the chocolate company that the cafe will close its doors at the end of the month, ending a nearly 17-year leasehold at the prime retail site in Martin Place.

Colliers agents Christian Jones and Michael Tuck have the premises listed as “a unique opportunity” suited to a “wide range of retail categories and operators as a flagship location”.

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A Lindt spokesman told media that social distancing restrictions and other Covid-era disruptions were the primary reasons for their decision to discontinue operations from the site. Five Lindt chocolate shops remain open in Sydney.

The cafe is on a popular Martin Place strip.

The lease for the site was due to be renewed and this prompted the company to consider the ongoing “viability” of the cafe at the site, a spokesman said in a statement.

“The disruptions to Martin Place caused by the construction work and the ongoing impacts of Covid-19 over the last two years coincide with the lease on the site coming to an end,” the spokesman said.

The site is available for lease through an expressions of interest campaign and the agents would not disclose the rent.

It is expected to attract considerable interest due to the rare location on the corner of Phillip St and the glitzy Martin Place pedestrian boulevard.

Armed police take aim outside the Lindt Cafe on December 15, 2014. Picture: Don Arnold/Getty Images)

Lone gunman Man Monis held 10 customers and eight employees hostage at the site in December 2014 in a terror attack that sent shockwaves around the world.

Monis, out on bail at the time, held the premises under siege for nearly 16 hours before police stormed the venue.

Monis was killed in the gunfire along with two hostages. Cafe worker Tori Johnson was killed by Monis while a second hostage Katrina Dawson was killed by a police bullet that ricochet during the raid.

The statement from Lindt read: “We are sensitive to the history of the site and the memories associated with it and have communicated our decision to close Martin Place Chocolate Café with all Lindt employees.”