Restaurants, especially small and local eateries, have been taking harsh blows over the past few years.
First, there was the entire April 2020 circuit breaker which cut off a huge chunk of revenue unless the owners turned towards online orders and deliveries, then the fluctuating COVID-19-related dining restrictions throughout the entire pandemic, only saved by pockets of aid from the government.
Now with global inflation showing no sign of slowing down despite the recovering economy and sky-high oil prices, another well-known eatery has fallen.
Teochew Meat Puff Ceasing Operations from 1 May
Teochew Meat Puff Pte Ltd owns a permanent brick-and-mortar store at 71 Woodlands Industrial Park E9, in the Wave 9 Food Court.
As their name states, they are well-known for their handmade meat puffs; each pastry filled to the brim with delicious meat stuffing before it’s fried to a deep golden-brown colour over 20 minutes.
Even though the pandemic proved to be difficult, they stayed true to their pasar malam roots, refusing to take any delivery orders as it might compromise the crispiness and tastiness of the crumbly and tantalising treat.
Teochew Meat Puff are clearly loved by its customers, as it boasts a 4.6 out of 5-star rating on Facebook, with 275 reviews, as of writing this article.
Alas, Teochew Meat Puff announced that it will be closing down on 1 May after two short years.
The eatery opened its first and only physical store on 17 September 2020.
Will It Be Back in the Future?
Although many patrons were saddened by the news, they are hopeful that Teochew Meat Puff will return to its old roots and become a travelling pasar malam stall again.
It’s not completely false hope either.
On a Facebook post that the store owner made on 6 April, they wrote: “As you all know that Pasar Malam is back and wondering whether we are going back?”
In the next line, they re-affirmed that they will still be operating from their Woodlands outlet, and they won’t be operating in any of the Pasar Malam for the time being.
Therefore, it’s completely possible that they might re-open for business under the street market tents again.
Moreover, some netizens have speculated that Teochew Meat Puff might be choosing to close their physical store because it’s less profitable with its higher rent, and that their current location is inconvenient to reach.
Whereas if they transition back to their Pasar Malam model, it’d be easier to gain the business of passing customers, whether they are new or old, because pasar malams shift around the island all year long.
It’s like a limited-edition pastry that you get to conveniently enjoy when it’s parked near your area once or twice a year.
You get to satisfy your cravings; Teochew Meat Puff acquires a steady flow of business.
It’s a win-win situation.
If you’re interested in knowing about their future movements, you can follow their Facebook page.
Featured Image: Facebook (Teochew Meat Puff Pte Ltd)