After 35 years of serving the Saskatoon community, Clothes Café has permanently closed its doors at 644 Broadway Avenue. The family-owned business, known for its fashion offerings and deep roots in the local skateboard scene, announced its closure in January.
A Family Legacy
Brothers Michael and Chuck Scheibelhoffer founded Clothes Café in 1991. What began as a high-end clothing store quickly evolved into a hub for skateboard culture, selling branded apparel and eventually skateboard gear. The store became a cornerstone of the Broadway district, with sister stores 640 and Frank & Lucy expanding the family's presence.
Wilson Scheibelhoffer, Michael's son, reflected on the store's significance: 'I'm 30, and my sister's 32, so the store predates us. For us, that was daycare, that was our first job — a cornerstone in our lives.' Michael passed away in November from cancer, adding emotional weight to the closure.
Community and Skate Culture
Clothes Café was more than a retail space; it was a gathering place. Wilson noted, 'Especially towards later years, it was more just hanging out, because everyone that came in at that point was a friend. Going to work for my dad and Chuck wasn't really going to work. It was just they'd get to hang out, drink coffee and see their friends all day.'
The store's pivot to skateboard clothing brands early on fostered tight-knit ties with the local skate scene. Over the years, the business adapted to customer needs, offering denim-focused shopping at 640 and lifestyle streetwear at Frank & Lucy. 'Customers who started shopping with us as kids buying skate clothes, now they're going to work and needed something more grown up, so the store kind of aged with the customers,' Wilson said.
Final Days
The space now sits mostly empty, with only oversized black-and-white family portraits of the Scheibelhoffers remaining. One portrait shows Michael and Chuck as young boys in matching outfits. Wilson emphasized his father's philosophy: business was about give-and-take with those who supported the family-run operation.
The closure marks the end of an era for Broadway Avenue, where Clothes Café was a fixture for decades. The family's ventures also included 640 and Frank & Lucy, which have since consolidated into the final location at 644 Broadway.
