Flourish Bakehouse to close its doors at SMU on September 14

After three years of serving hearty bakes to cafe-goers, Flourish Bakehouse will soon close for good, with its final day of operations set for September 14.

The cafe first opened at its original Phoenix Park location on Tanglin Road in October 2021, where its grassy outdoor space quickly became a gathering spot for young families, couples, and groups of friends. 

The cafe also became known for bakes such as the grilled cheese toasties (now on the menu as grilled cheese sandwiches), and now-discontinued items such as the ham leek parmesan scone, hot honey thyme focaccia, and cheddar corn muffin.

When the cafe’s lease at Phoenix Park expired in December 2022, owner Diane Ong, 33, took a one-year hiatus. The break saw her searching for the cafe’s new home, and also getting hitched. 

Flourish Bakehouse then relocated to its current spot at Singapore Management University (SMU) in September 2023. 

The menu evolved and saw add-ons such as the berry Bomb tart, mushroom onion quiche, and grilled cheese sandwiches, all of which grew to become popular items. 

But now, Diane says it’s time to say goodbye for good. 

We caught up with her to find out more about her decision to close her cafe, and to savour her bakes for one last time.

The decision to close Flourish Bakehouse

On a personal level, she was open about having a miscarriage last year. 

“Closing the cafe was a very, very difficult decision,” Diane admits. “It was primarily triggered by personal reasons, but also by the rising costs of running an F&B business in Singapore.”

“Experiencing a miscarriage definitely puts a lot of things into perspective,” she reflects. “It made me acutely aware of how physically taxing doing F&B is, and reconsider what might be wiser to do for work, as my husband and I plan to start a family.”

She also faced health challenges — eczema on her hands.

“I got it during the Covid-19 pandemic, and it just got worse because of the frequency of washing my hands and dishes as part of the business,” she says.

The business environment was equally challenging. Diane adds that the costs of running a cafe have increased a lot over the last two years.

“I’ve spoken to a lot of small F&B owners and they have all struggled,” she says. “The GST increase has affected us. 1% might not seem like a big hike, but businesses that are not GST-registered are very much affected. We don’t charge GST to our customers, but still get charged GST by landlords and suppliers so our cost goes up and margins become smaller.” 

She adds: “Small business owners such as myself also face higher rents and decreased customer spending. So when you have increased costs and decreased revenue, it becomes tough to sustain a business.”

Move to SMU came with challenges

Flourish’s move from Phoenix Park to SMU brought new opportunities — and its share of challenges. Even though SMU is more easily accessed and attracted a new customer demographic (of students), this did not translate to more profits for Diane. 

Having travelled all the way to sample her wares at Phoenix Park, “customers were more open to trying out more experimental flavours, which allowed us to have a lot more fun in the kitchen,” she adds. 

“The centrality of the location definitely diluted the experience of a cosy, exclusive hideaway that we had,” says Diane. 

At SMU, the weekends still brought loyal regulars who sought to try out a wider selection of different bakes. But weekdays often meant a more functional, fast-paced crowd.

Says Diane: “The customer demographic was also after more grab-and-go options that were slightly safer, flavour-wise, such as banana bread or our XXL brown butter chocolate chip cookie.”

There were also technical challenges behind the scenes. “Every day presents a different challenge, from choked water pipes, to our kitchen flooding, and staff no-shows — the list goes on,” she says, with a wry laugh.

What we tried at Flourish Bakehouse

Before Flourish Bakehouse closes its doors, here are some of Diane’s signature creations she recommends trying. 

One standout is the berry Bomb tart (S$7) — Diane’s personal favourite and a staple at many customers’ birthday celebrations.

We can see why it’s a firm favourite: The berry Bomb tart was flavourful and not overly sweet, unlike other berry tarts which veer towards being more sugar-filled. Within the tart shell was also an aromatic frangipane (almond) filling, with blueberries and raspberries. 

Then there’s the very indulgent XXL brown butter chocolate chip cookie (S$5). It’s exactly as its name suggests — a giant brown butter dark chocolate chip cookie topped with flaky sea salt.

Diane describes it boldly as “one of the best, if not the best cookie” she has made. 

Rich, moist, and generously studded with chocolate, it’s the kind of bake that wins over first-timers and keeps regulars coming back.

For savoury lovers, the scallion parmesan scone (S$5.50) is an umami creation with buttered scallions and grated parmesans that delivers a buttery, crumbly bite.

Another fan-fave option is the pao de queijo (S$6.50 for seven pieces) — bite-sized Brazilian cheese mochi buns that are a favourite with kids. We found them addictive as well, as they were delightfully cheesy and airy. 

The mushroom onion quiche (S$6.50) has also been a crowd-pleaser — hearty, but not too heavy for a mid-afternoon treat. It features sauteed mushrooms with onions and herbs, in homemade short-crust pastry. 

If you’re looking for something more substantial as fuel for your afternoon, go for its various grilled cheese sandwiches (from S$8), served with homemade tomato soup.

There’s The Hamsum Man (from S$11 for a half sandwich), a delectable treat featuring three cheeses (gruyere, cheddar, and mozzarella) and honey baked ham on country white bread. 

We really enjoyed the generous amount of melted cheese, which oozed out enticingly from between the slices of bread. Meanwhile, the pairing with tomato soup was a great addition, as it gave the sandwich a tangy kick. 

For the purists, there’s also The Classic (from S$8 for a half sandwich), which includes the same three cheeses on artisanal sourdough, but without the ham.

The community Flourish has built

Through all the ups and downs, Diane says it was Flourish’s community that kept her going.

She recalls fondly how regulars have supported the cafe through both its Phoenix Park and SMU chapters.

“I’ve personally loved seeing families flourish (quite literally) in size. Witnessing children of our regular customers grow up and being a part of their milestones is really special!” she adds.

Looking ahead

Regarding her plans after Flourish wraps up next month, Diane had this to add: “A lot of customers have asked if I might consider doing a home cafe, or operate as a home-based business. I’m not ruling that out, but I’ll probably revisit it after I take a break.”

As for her career, Diane is keeping her options open. She had been an accountant at PwC for 7 years before taking the leap to open Flourish.

“I might consider going back to a corporate role, but exactly which industry and role depends on what’s available in the market,” she considers.

For now, she’s focused on rest, recovery, and cherishing the memories Flourish has created.

Diane is also immensely grateful to customers who have supported her throughout the years.

“Thank you to everyone who has supported Flourish,” she says. “Doing F&B in Singapore is really tough, especially if you’re a small business not backed by a financial giant. What makes it worthwhile is the community.”

For its regulars, the closure of Flourish will be bittersweet. And for Diane, the legacy of Flourish lives on in the relationships built, the memories made, and the countless moments of connection over a good bake. 

For more stories, check out our review of this eastside cafe’s Jellycat-inspired menu, and an old-school fried chicken spot we chanced upon.