Artisanal chocolate pioneer Laurent Cafe & Chocolate Bar at Robertson Quay to close after 20 years
“I’m completely devastated by what’s happening to us,” said chef-owner Laurent Bernard, whose cafe in Robertson Quay has been a pioneer in the artisanal chocolate scene since it opened in 2006.
Chef-owner Laurent Bernard (left) is closing his famous Laurent Cafe & Chocolate Bar. (Photos: Laurent Bernard Chocolatier)
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Before the proliferation of homegrown artisanal chocolate brands such as Mr Bucket Chocolaterie and Janice Wong Pure Imagination, there was Laurent Bernard Chocolatier.
Opened in 2006 by genial French pastry chef Laurent Bernard and his wife Iveta, the chocolaterie and cafe made a splash in Singapore’s dessert scene with its elegant chocolate bonbons freshly made on-site and yummy choc souffles and cakes.
After an impressive run of 20 years, at the same scenic riverside spot, the brand’s sole dine-in outlet at Robertson Quay has called it quits.
Laurent Cafe & Chocolate Bar initially announced on Facebook on Thursday (Aug 6) that its chocolate shop and cafe would shut down that very day, calling it “a heavy day” for the team.
Speaking to 8days.sg, Laurent Bernard attributed the closure to the “financial burden” of running the cafe. He said the business had initially been given only seven days’ notice to vacate the premises over outstanding rent.
When asked about the losses the business had sustained, he said: “I prefer to keep the losses confidential.”
He added that reduced foot traffic in the Robertson Quay area, coupled with rising rental costs, did not help matters.
However, one of the cafe’s most loyal customers, who is also Bernard’s good friend, later stepped in and paid the outstanding rent in hopes of preventing the landlord from shutting it down immediately.
Thanks to his intervention, the cafe was granted an additional week to remain open, giving the team more time to say goodbye to its customers. Its final day is now on Aug 12.
Staying put wasn’t possible, shared Bernard, because “the landlord agreed to let us continue occupying the space only if a full 12 months’ worth of [advance] rent was paid upfront”.
“I understand the [new] landlord’s frustration at not receiving payment on time. However, we have been renting this space for the past 20 years, and we had a very good relationship with our original landlord, CDL,” he shared. He declined to share what he currently pays in rent.
Bernard lamented: “The biggest loss is not financial to me, it’s emotional.”
He added: “It touches me deeply to see so much empathy [from my customers]. This cafe means a great deal to many residents of the neighbourhood. I’m completely devastated by what’s happening to us.”
The chef said that while Laurent’s Cafe & Chocolate Bar is closing, the Laurent Bernard Chocolatier brand will continue operating online.
Customers can still order its cakes, chocolate boxes and other treats for delivery or self-collection from its MacTaggart Road central kitchen.
Bernard added that he has no plans to open another cafe for now and will focus on the online business.
In his farewell post, he thanked customers for the memories they had created at the cafe over the past two decades.
“We hope the time you spent here will forever be remembered and cherished,” he wrote. “Thank you, and goodbye.”
Laurent’s Cafe & Chocolate Bar is located at The Pier at Robertson, #01-11, 80 Mohammad Sultan Road, Singapore 239013. Its final day is Aug 12. Online orders remain available via its website.
This story was originally published in 8Days.
For more 8Days stories, visit https://www.8days.sg/
Source: 8 Days/hq
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