Yet Another Iconic Valletta Business Lost: L-Amerikan Shutters After Four Generations
The owner of another in an increasingly long line of iconic Valletta businesses – L-Amerikan – announced today that his family business will be closing its doors for good.
Noel Cachia announced the closure of his Republic Street clothes store on social media, thanking loyal customers for frequenting his family business. He added that without their patronage, it wouldn’t have been possible for the family to run the store over the course of four generations.
“I would like to deeply thank all our loyal customers for continuing to shop at our premises. I would like to express gratitude to all those who worked for my family in one way or other. We never called you employees but a part of our family as without you we wouldn’t be who we are today – a household name.”
L-Amerikan primarily sold clothes and sports merchandise – but was also a popular meeting point for fans of Valletta FC. Fans seeking to become members, or purchase Valletta FC season tickets could stop by L-Amerikan to pay their fees and collect tickets or memberships.
Valletta FC fans will now have to congregate elsewhere as L-Amerikan joins the esteemed ranks of N. Caruana & Sons and Tal-Ħwawar in the historical records of Valletta’s bygone businesses.
L-Amerikan was passed down and operated over four generations, while N. Caruana & Sons had been open since before the outbreak of World War II and Tal-Ħwawar predated them both, having begun operations in the late 19th century, a journey which would last 135 years.
Although Valletta still has plenty to offer visitors, recent changes are causing its character to change. The once peaceful city is now louder for longer than it has been before.
Wide streets – through which shoppers and tourists alike bustled towards established businesses – are now more confined, because bars and restaurants have been given permission to increase capacity by filling the middle of roads with tables.
Lovin Malta recently explored these changing dynamics in Belt Kapitali, a documentary about Valletta featuring international actress Marama Corlett.
The iconic character of our capital city is shifting. Just like city centres in many European capitals, the core of Valletta is being taken over by designer clothing stores and other major companies whose ability to pay rent prices is well beyond the budget of any small family business.
Noel ‘l-Amerikan’ Cachia issued this statement on social media:
“It has been my pleasure and also my family’s pleasure in welcoming you to our shop. Even though the sign L-Amerikan will no longer be up on Republic Street I am sure it will never be forgotten.”
If longstanding businesses like L-Amerikan continue to fall by the wayside, it may be time to brace for impact as Valletta is transformed forever.
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