Customers turning up at Rubix Cafe for their morning coffee found the doors to the Hovell Street premises locked and a sign on the door: “Rubix Cafe and Catering has ceased trading”.

The shock closure has left Wodonga Council scrambling to find a new tenant for the cafe just over a year after it opened.

But an employee, who did not wish to be named, believes the closure was “inevitable”.

He told The Border Mail there were ongoing issues between management and staff and that up to 20 employees had not been paid any superannuation.

He and several other former colleagues have started proceedings with the Australian Taxation Office to try to get the money they say they are owed. He said he was owed about $3000.

“You could say it wasn’t a friendly work environment at all,” he said.

“With stories of their customers declining, losing money ... it is no real surprise.”

The Border Mail tried to contact the cafe operator yesterday but was told he was out of town and un­available until Thursday.

The council had leased out the cafe space to Rubix on a 15-year lease ­— an initial three-year lease, with another three options of four years to follow.

Wodonga council chief executive officer Patience Harrington said the council had nothing to do with the site beyond rental terms and it was “extremely disappointed” it had closed.

She said the council had been in discussions with the operator over the past few months about its operations and was aware the operator wanted to leave.

However, the sudden departure wasn’t anticipated.

“We had an agreement (over the tenure and when it would cease) that he chose not to honour, and they chose to move out of premises without notifying anybody,” Ms Harrington said.

She was not sure at this stage if the council would be out of pocket by the closure.

“We want to assure the community that we will be working quickly to find a new cafe operator for the facility; we are out there as we speak finding a new tenant,” she said.

“This cafe is a vital part of the cultural and civic precinct and we are confident that there will be business operators who will see the potential in our growing city.”

Ms Harrington disagreed with suggestions there was not enough interest from customers, believing the cafe to be a popular addition.

“The Cube has been booked solid since it opened, so you would say it attracted a significant amount of people to the site.”

Community groups and individuals with cafe bookings should contact Wodonga Council staff at The Cube Wodonga.

Ms Harrington said catering for conferences and other events which have been booked at The Cube Wodonga would still occur.

Organisers should contact The Cube staff for further details.