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In a Facebook post on Mar. 28, third-generation owner of Tiong Bahru's Pin Pin Piau Kay shared that the provision store's 85-year-old legacy would finally be coming to a permanent close.
"Final curtain call"
Rodney Goh, 68, shared that "the final curtain call" had come, and welcomed friends and long-time patrons of the old-school provision store for one last hurrah.
Members of the public can pop by for drinks, snacks or simply take photos tomorrow, Mar. 31, between 10am to 12pm.
In a series of black-and-white photos accompanying the post, Goh shared nostalgic photos of the store, as well as pictures of himself together with his dad and grandfather.
Image via Rodney Goh Facebook
Image via Rodney Goh Facebook
Image via Rodney Goh Facebook
Image via Rodney Goh Facebook
From left to right: Rodney Goh, his father, and his grandfather. Image via Rodney Goh Facebook
The provision store has been around since 1938, and, according to Goh, was founded by his grandfather sometime before the Japanese Occupation.
In the comments section, Goh wrote that his father had subsequently taken over the store in 1949, before handing the reins over to Goh in 1982. According to an online website, Goh had left his banking job to run the business then, together with his wife. Their children do not intend to carry on with the business.
As the original convenience store for the Tiong Bahru Estate, the store has been through everything from the Japanese Occupation and Singapore's declaration of independence, to the 2008 financial crisis, as well as SARS and Covid-19, but always "came out stronger", Goh shared in his post.
This time, however, it will be saying goodbye for good, although Goh did not share an official reason for the store's shuttering.
Had shared plans to halt the business previously
Previously, the store had also announced its closure, in Oct. 2021.
Facebook community group Tiong Bahru Estate had uploaded an image of a banner outside the store announcing its closure then, before later sharing an update in Nov. 2021 that the new owner had allowed Goh to continue operating the store until the end of 2022's Chinese New Year.
A 3D virtual map of the provision store can still be explored online, and provides detailed images of the store's old school paraphernalia, from Ritz crackers to brooms, dustpans and other household appliances.
Image via my.matterport.com
Image via my.matterport.com
Details
Address: 71 Seng Poh Road, #01-33, Singapore 160071
Top images via @pinpinpiaukay Instagram and my.matterport.com