Pastry stalwart Pantler to close after 12 years

[SINGAPORE] Yet another fixture on the Singapore F&B scene is set to exit, with cult favourite patisserie Pantler closing its doors on Aug 30.

Well known for its classic Japanese-style Swiss rolls, strawberry shortcake and Black Forest cakes, the 12-year-old bakery announced on social media that its River Valley outlet would close down by the end of the month if it doesn’t find a successor to take over the business.

Founder Matthias Phua – who started Pantler in Telok Ayer with partner Tomoharu Morita – cited the same reasons plaguing others in the F&B industry for Pantler’s upcoming closure. “Current market conditions make it difficult for us to sustain the business,” he said. 

Phua had been thinking about the closure since May, as options to move the business online and working from a central kitchen became unfeasible.

“Just selling desserts in Singapore is very difficult,” he added. “We don’t have a dessert culture like (South) Korea and Japan do.”

He is still holding out hopes for a successor to take over the business, failing which Pantler will cease to exist after Aug 30.

Both Phua and Morita – who are alumni of Grand Hyatt Tokyo and Joel Robuchon Singapore – have no plans yet for their next step, but are open to working together again.

“I can’t say what the future holds for us,” said Phua. “(Closing) is sad, but it’s been a good run. However, times are changing.”

Pantler – named after the mediaeval term for the officer in charge of the bread and pastry room in a royal household – is not the only casualty in the pastry sector. Tarte by Cheryl Koh also closed down in April this year after 11 years of operation.

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F&B closures have been on the rise, with 3,074 closures in 2025, and 1,515 from January to May in 2026.