PUBLISHED ONDecember 24, 2023 4:40 AMByYeo Shu HuiMore than two weeks since muffin bakery Chocolat N' Spice's Tanjong Pagar first announced its impending closure, it was finally time to say goodbye.
Snaking queues were observed outside the bakery on its last day of operation yesterday (Dec 23), Shin Min Daily News reported.
The owner Chen Pei Jing, 45, who has been operating the bakery at Tanjong Pagar Plaza since 2004, said that they have been suffering a loss for quite a while due to rising costs of ingredients, including oil, eggs and blueberries.
"Ingredients costs are getting higher and higher, especially those that were imported. The ingredient price that increased most exaggeratedly is blueberries. It was $14 per kilogram last year, but increased to $22 this year," she shared.
Pei Jing added that as her customers were mostly from the central business district, their business became even more affected during and after the Covid-19 pandemic, as more people started working from home and the human traffic for their business decreased by 60 per cent.
To manage rising costs, Pei Jing shared: "We've raised prices twice to no avail," adding that they increased their prices by 40 cents since the pandemic.
After discussions with her mother and sister, they decided to close the outlet as the end of the lease is near.
Pei Jing admitted that she was reluctant to part with the place where she had operated the business for the past 19 years, but considering the overall situation, it was inevitable.
Retiree Madam Feng, 60, who visited the shop yesterday, told the Chinese daily that she and her family have been purchasing muffins from the shop for over a decade and felt sad that it would be closing.
Madam Qiu, 60, and her mother, 92, also joined the queue, sharing that they would have it for breakfast at least once a week. Since the shop is closing, they can only visit other outlets in the future.
As for the five employees of Chocolat N' Spice, Pei Jing shared that they would be deployed to other outlets, while some of them have considered retirement instead.
An employee, only known as Joyce, 35, said that she had been working in the shop for quite a while and treated the customers like her friends.
"I am really reluctant to leave. I would tell the customers that if they wish to find me, they can look for me in the other branches," she shared.
Chocolat N' Spice continues its operations at its other branches, with one located in Shunfu Market and the other located at 78B Telok Blangah Street 32.
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