Local bakery Twelve Cupcakes announced that its last day of operations was on Oct. 29.
In a notice on its website, the company stated that it has been placed under provisional liquidation with effect from Oct. 29.
"We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience caused and would like to express our heartfelt thanks for your kind support and partnership over the years," it added.
Screenshot via Twelve Cupcakes/website
However, at the time of writing, a quick Google search showed that numerous outlets were still listed as open, and the company was still posting on social media on Oct. 29.
Underpaying foreign employees
In 2021, Twelve Cupcakes was found to have underpaid seven of the bakery's foreign employees between 2013 and 2016.
Co-founder Jaime Teo was fined S$65,000 for underpaying employees by almost S$100,000 over the course of three years, during which she was the company's director.
Teo founded Twelve Cupcakes in 2011 together with her then-husband, former radio DJ Daniel Ong.
In 2012, Teo and Ong decided together to hire foreign employees to expand their business.
However, some workers were underpaid. For instance, a pastry chef who was supposed to be paid S$2,300 monthly in mid-2014 received S$1,600 instead.
A few months after Ong and Teo got divorced in 2016, the two sold the company to an India-based tea company, Dhunseri Group.
In Dec. 2020, Dhunseri Group pleaded guilty to 15 charges under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act and was fined S$119,500 in January 2021 for underpaying seven foreign staff S$114,000 from December 2016 to November 2018.
Twelve Cupcakes' lawyer said that the practice of paying its staff less than what was agreed on paper was implemented by the previous owners, Ong and Teo.
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Top photos via Google Maps & Twelve Cupcakes/Facebook
