'With much regret': Hakka Pang closes Bukit Merah and Yishun stalls but has new businesses in the pipeline

Earlier in July, Chef Pang Kok Keong, better known as Chef Pang, opened a stall at Hawkers' Street in the newly refurbished Tampines 1 shopping mall.

But just a few weeks later, he announced that he will be shuttering his stalls at Bukit Merah and Yishun. 

Chef Pang shared the news in an Instagram post on July 31. 

"It's with much regrets that we'll be closing our Hakka Pang stall at 2 Jalan Bukit Merah and today, July 31, is our last day of business," he wrote. 

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"Our Yishun stall will also be closed and [the] last day of business will be on August 31." 

His Bukit Merah stall opened in March 2023 while his Yishun stall had opened a few months later in September last year. 

However, fans of his delicious Hakka food need not be too sad as Chef Pang has other business plans in the pipeline. 

Apart from his new stall at Hawkers' Street, he will also be opening another stall in September this year.

While he did not specify the exact location of the new venture, he hinted that it would be "in the city". 

"We can't thank you enough for your continuous support and we're really grateful. See y'all at the new locations," he wrote. 

Speaking to AsiaOne, Chef Pang shared that slow sales were the reason for the closure.

"We were doing ok at Bukit Merah, but ever since the tuberculosis outbreak, the crowd didn't really return," he explained.

Another reason for slow footfall was the weather.

"It has been increasingly hot so we decided to move our operations to an air-conditioned food court." 

Chef Pang said the closure was a "business decision".

"Judging by how our stall at Tampines 1 is doing, I think we've made the right decision to cease our operations in the coffee shop and move it to an air-conditioned food court," he explained.

"But that's not to say that every venture will be successful, and we will still consider setting up coffee shop stalls when the condition is favourable. We try to be nimble and adapt to consumer habits." 

Chef Pang added that business at Hawker Street so far has been "very encouraging".

"We hope our second food court stall at bukit panjang plaza opening on the Aug 3 will do just as well."

Opened and closed several businesses over the years 

Chef Pang was the founder of popular French patisserie and bistro Antoinette, which shuttered in 2020 after nine years. 

Just a month after he shuttered Antoinette, he opened a new stall at Xin Tekka Food Hall selling Hakka noodles. This shuttered in April 2021. 

He later opened Pang's Hakka Noodles stalls at ARC 380 and Sprout Hub, both of which shuttered in 2022, barely two years into existence. 

His ARC 380 stall had closed due to poor business while his Sprout Hub outlet had shuttered because of lease issues. 

Later, he opened his Bukit Merah and Yishun stalls in 2023. 

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melissateo@asiaone.com