Levi now lives in Australia with his partner Rhozie Edmonds and their two children.

"I always loved the shop. I used to go in as a young teenager," says Levi.

"I said to Deno! If he ever wanted to sell that I’d be keen. Then he passed away and the opportunity came up, so we bought it."

When asked why the have decided to close down, Levi says it was a hard decision and they kept the shop open for as long as they could.

He says the decision comes from mainly the changes council have made, like deciding to turn Wharf Street into an eat street.

"We had major issues with the street being revamped twice, loosing the car parks and permanent closing of the street. Tauranga Council has destroyed this city."

When Curiosity announced it was closing on its public Facebook page, people were “sad” and said the city wouldn’t be the same.

“The end of an era. Due to the nature and character of staff and customers, it would be hands down the most cosmic store anywhere in NZ. Would call in to hear Deno’s true story of the glass vases for sale in the store but it was so elaborate the tale would change when the next customer asked,” says Shayne Thomas.

Many locals have memories of the store forever etched or marked on their bodies with tattoos and piercings.

“Aww man I got my piercings done by Deno back in 90s and got my first proper bong there the old brown bottle bongs.. I remember one time there was this dragon ornament I really liked but couldn’t quite afford it so he gave it to me for free. Still got it as well,” says another man.

Others remembered it as their first job, saying how well staff were treated.

“Wharf St will never be the same without Curiosity. It’s a big part of Tauranga. Deno was the best boss, loved my job there back in the day so much. Now everything’s dying in the CBD,” says former employee Tanya Jones.

Many say it's their favourite shop in Tauranga, and people would come from other cities to visit. While people are sad to see it go, they understand the reasons, having witnessed the exodus of other businesses in town.

“You've done well to last so long with the disaster that is Tauranga central. Sorry to hear you're closing,” says another shopper.

Levi and Rhozie are extremely grateful for the support they have received from the community over the years.

"We would love to give a huge thank you to all our current and previous staff that have been amazing and kept the shop running. We would also love to thank all our loyal customers that have been in over the years.

"Massive Thank you to Deno! May he R.I.P."