It has been more than a year since the Cosmopolitan burnt down and businesses are feeling the effect.

The town has lost two shops, including the Fir Tree and a Thai restaurant, and the Trentham Cafe and Craft has cut its opening hours from seven days a week to six days.

Owner Shirley O'Brien said business had not been the same since the fire.

"It's 10am and I haven't had a customer yet. It's market day at the supermarket and there are only one or two customers in there," she said.

Ms O'Brien said she couldn't afford to have her staff on all of the time. She said if she happened to have a busy lunch, she would call them in.

"I don't know what we can do. We need to do something as a town, something to attract people to the town," she said.

Ms O'Brien, who has owned the cafe for four-and-a-half-years, said the price of fuel could be contributing to the loss of business.

"There is not many tourists. The bikers are going straight through," she said.

Trentham Residents and Traders Association president Sandra Proksa said the town was not going very well at the moment.

"It is in crisis time. Businesses are closing down," she said.

Ms Proksa said TRATA held a meeting at the start of this month and everyone had the same concerns.