Debenhams in Oxford is the second department store to close in the city in two years following the end of Boswells in 2020.
Now only John Lewis in the Westgate Centre remains.
Debenhams in Magdalen Street took over from Elliston & Cavell in 1975 after it had traded on the site for 150 years.
There was still hope in 2019 when a new cafe opened to replace the Patisserie Valerie franchise.
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Dan Goldsmith, 42, from Canvey Island, Essex, and Jane Wallace, 36, moved from Great Ayton, North Yorkshire to open their new Adoro Caffe shop.
The pair said they were aiming for a UK first as they attempted to build a wood fire roaster for their beans in County Durham.
These wood fire roasted beans were to be used for their various stores and branches across the country, including their Oxford venture.
Speaking about the technique Mr Goldsmith said at the time: “What we’re doing is completely new territory but we are equally excited for the challenge.
"There’s a huge element of risk and there will be errors and mistakes but it’s about us learning and developing.
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“We’re putting a lot of love into it to create a product with real quality.”
The whole process cost the couple ‘thousands’ and had been planned for two years.
Mr Goldsmith added: “When people buy the beans they can see what blend of coffee they’re drinking, where it was grown and even who grew it.”
One of the more bizarre incidents in the department store's history when the bomb squad was called after someone abandoned a pack of mince pies outside.
The Army bomb disposal experts blew up the bag of pies outside the store in December 1988, amid fears the package could contain a firebomb.
The alarm was raised just after 1pm on December 3 when the bulging envelope was spotted on railings opposite the store.
A square object could be seen inside the package and grease had seeped through the paper.
Inspector John Simpson of Oxford police said at the time: "We were not happy about it and called bomb disposal experts to deal with it."
Debenhams was closed off immediately and Magdalen Street was sealed off for two hours.
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The bomb disposal team then used a robot device to make a controlled explosion of the package.
This revealed it contained about half a dozen mince pies. A bag was also blown up in nearby Friars Entry, but Army experts discovered later it held only rubbish.
Department stores across the UK had been on alert that week after real firebombs were found at major stores in several cities.
Inspectors Simpson told the Oxford Mail: "It's better to be safe than sorry."
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