Pantler patisserie saved from closure by white knight

IN A rare happy ending for the food and beverage industry, beleaguered patisserie Pantler is set to stay in business after a white knight stepped in at the 11th hour to save it from closing down at the end of August. 

The 12-year-old pastry stalwart’s official last day was to have been Aug 30, weeks after founder Matthias Phua first announced that the struggling business would close for good if he could not find an investor to take over. 

The massive outpouring of support and long queues that followed the news led him to extend the closing date by a week, which also gave him more time to consider the investment offers that came along. 

“We received more interest than I expected,” he said. “I spoke to many interested parties, both individuals and companies.”

The investor he finally decided upon is new to F&B; he declined to reveal more as the legal process is still ongoing. 

Operationally, things remain the same. “There are no plans to move and the existing tenancy will continue,” said Phua. “Business will operate as normal during the transition.”

As part of the succession, he and co-founder Tomoharu Morita will hand over the reins to the new owner, while the core pastry team remains. Sous chef Ling Tian Wei, who was Morita’s right-hand man for the last six years, continues to lead the team.

Phua and Morita were alumni of The Grand Hyatt Tokyo and Joel Robuchon Singapore and started Pantler in 2014, earning a loyal following for their signature Swiss rolls, strawberry shortcake and other French-Japanese pastries.

The headwinds plaguing the F&B industry made it unsustainable for Pantler to continue, Phua said at the time of his original decision to close. But he was not prepared for the overwhelming response that would follow. 

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“It reminded me that there are still people who care deeply about independent F&B businesses and the brands they grew up with. So yes, it does give me hope for the local scene.”

While the headwinds remain, “the new owner will have the opportunity to look at the business with fresh eyes and decide how best to take it forward,” added Phua. “That’s what makes this next chapter interesting.”