0°C | Saturday January 31, 2026 
12 December 2025
Two long-established North Shore businesses have announced they will close, marking the end of long runs for an independent bookstore in Crows Nest and an Italian restaurant at Milsons Point.
Half Back Books and Records at 20 Burlington Street will cease trading on Sunday December 14 after more than 30 years of operation. Owner and operator Wendy Morgan decided to close the business following a recent injury, with the decision announced by her daughter-in-law on social media.
The store will hold a closing-down clearance sale on its final day of trade.
Local customers responded online following the announcement, with one describing the store as “a wonderful presence in Crowie for years” and thanking Morgan “for enriching our lives”. Another said the shop had spent “so many years supplying good reads and being able to trade in”.
Meanwhile La Capannina at Milsons Point has closed after 15 years of operation. The Italian restaurant was opened in July 2011 by Lino Mascolo with his wife Rosaria and daughters Francesca and Sara.
In a statement, Mascolo said the closure was “incredibly emotional”, adding that what began as a family venture had grown into something sustained by community support. He said customers had welcomed the family’s food and traditions and allowed the restaurant to be part of personal milestones and celebrations.
Patronage to the venue may have been affected by construction associated with the Harbour Bridge bike ramp surrounding the site.
The building, located next to the former bowling club, was originally home to the Gallipoli Legion Bowling Club from the early 1950s and later operated as the Kirribilli Ex-Servicemen’s Bowling Club until its closure in July 2001. North Sydney Council has leased the site since 2001 and is now seeking a new tenant for the vacant premises.