Mrs Brown said she and her husband decided to make changes in the way the former hotel and tavern was run earlier this month.
She said it was a bittersweet decision to close the facility to all but private functions, although stress had been mounting on staff, and she and Mr Brown needed a lifestyle change.
"As far as our regular patrons are concerned . . . it is the end of life as they know it, but there have to be changes in life.
"It [the cafe and bar] is temporarily shut while we re-evaluate the toll our busy lifestyle has had on our health and wellbeing," she said.
Mrs Brown said the business, at Shingle Creek on State Highway 8 between Alexandra and Roxburgh, had been on the market over the past couple of years.
A buyer had not been found.
She and her husband decided to make changes at the venue on September 6, when they hosted a function for the 40th anniversary of the original hotel burning down.
"Selling became an option, as well as changing opening hours.
"We always wanted to run it as a cafe and bar, but there was some difficulty, as it had been the Shingle Creek pub for 150 years, and it will always have that public image," Mrs Brown said.
Mr and Mrs Brown purchased the property five years ago.
Mrs Brown said she wanted people to know the venue was open for private functions, and not closed permanently, "as people seem to think".
"Contrary to popular opinion, the cafe is not fully closed.
"It has always been very popular for functions, and we want to continue that tradition.
"We are also looking at opening for limited hours during summer," she said.
Mrs Brown said despite the strong heritage of the Shingle Creek property, it needed to change with the times.
"We have been trying to shift away from that whole [pub and hotel] thing.
"Shingle Creek has to evolve," she said.
Mrs Brown thanked patrons for all their support.
