Happiness Nonya Cakes and Confectionery located at Block 92 Lorong 4 Toa Payoh, will be closing down in mid-September 2024.

The store, which has more than 50 years of history, was owned by an elderly couple who first started selling nonya cakes along Kim Keat Lane near Balestier, reported Shin Min Daily News.

In 2016, the owners' son, surnamed Gan, left his job in the financial industry to help with his family's business.

Reasons for closure

According to Gan, his family decided to close the store down because his ageing parents, who are in their 80s, wanted to rest, and the store was short-staffed.

Currently, the store offers more than 20 kinds of nonya cakes, including ang gu kueh and kueh salat, and all of them are handmade by his parents, added Gan.

Additionally, the store also sells confectioneries from external suppliers, which include bean paste pastries and sun biscuits.

Gan shared that his parents would typically start working as early as 3am before opening their store at 6am.

While they used to run the store until 8pm when they were younger, they recently decided to close it earlier at 2pm.

Handmade cakes priced between S$0.60 and S$1

Despite the increase in Goods and Services Tax (GST) and price of ingredients, Gan said the store has tried their best to keep the price of their handmade goods within a reasonable range.

According to Shin Min, Gan's parents' handmade nonya cakes are priced between S$0.60 and S$1.

However, the affordable price of the cakes also means that the revenue for the business would not be as high.

Continuing to make the products in such a time-consuming and laborious manner is not a long-term solution, said Gan.

Praised by customers

Many patrons of the store, who spoke to Shin Min, said they were saddened upon learning of the business' impending closure.

They shared that the store's cakes are not only affordable and delicious, but also have a fresh taste as compared to those mass-produced in factories.

Similarly, customers also left good reviews for the store and its staff on Google, with one calling its cake "one of the best [they] have had".

"It is very rare to be able to find such affordable and delicious cakes, so I will buy more from the store these next few months when I have the chance," said a regular customer of the store.

Top images via Google Maps & Kelvin Ooi/Facebook