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SINGAPORE – Cafe and pastry chain Bakerzin will close all five of its stores here after 22 years, according to a report in the financial daily The Business Times on Friday (October 9).
It said Bakerzin Holdings had notified a meeting of creditors on Monday for the purpose of liquidating. One of the items on the agenda is to confirm the appointment of the liquidator.
The restaurant, which had been in operation for more than two decades, had outlets at Maju Avenue, Raffles Hospital, Gardens by the Bay, United Square and Wisma Atria.
Its website was taken down and the company could not be reached for comment.
He was still selling mooncakes last month for the Mid-Autumn Festival and his last Facebook post on September 30 was to promote the holiday cakes.
Bakerzin was founded by pastry chef Daniel Tay in 1998 as Baker’s Inn in Sembawang and was renamed in 2004. He sold the business in 2007 but continued to run it as CEO until 2013. He now operates Cat & The Fiddle, a cheesecake business and the traditional Old Seng Choong pastry shop under his own Foodgnostic company.
Tay, 49, said she learned of the imminent company closure about three months ago from her former staff at the company, but was told she had wanted to fulfill their mooncake orders first.
“They were also cutting down a lot of the staff,” he said, adding that some of them have joined him.
On closing the brand he created, he said: “I feel very sad. If I have the opportunity, I would like to buy it again and open a small store. The cost of operating a chain of restaurants is very high, but it can still work as a unique store concept.
“I would like to bring back the old fashioned cakes.”
Bakerzin was known for its chocolate cake made with Valrhona chocolate and strawberry shortcake in its early days.
Tay said he sold the business during the financial crisis because the rent was too high.
“I was a small player and I thought I would let someone else take over,” he explained.
“Similarly, I wish the current owners had chosen not to close but to hand over the business to someone else.”
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