Popular CBD sandwich cafe Park Bench Deli reveals closure in shock announcement
The last few months have been plagued with the closure of many famous establishments, including Riders Cafe and the iconic Tiong Bahru Yi Sheng Fried Hokkien Mee.
It’s always sad to see our favourite places close, but the latest name to join the list is quite an unexpected addition — the popular Park Bench Deli along Telok Ayer Street.
Opened in 2015, the sandwich-focused deli quickly became one of the most crowded lunchtime haunts in the CBD.
Despite eight strong years in the business, Park Bench Deli abruptly announced its official closure on social media on Monday (March 6), much to the dismay of many loyal fans.
After all, Park Bench Deli was one of the top spots in the CBD to chow down on hearty artisanal sandwiches, such as the fried chicken and pastrami reuben.
Not only that — it had firmly established itself as one of the top dogs in Singapore’s cafe scene, teaming up with the likes of Michelin-starred Burnt Ends and Candlenut for collaborative guest sandwiches at one point.
After the pandemic measures started tapering off in 2021, the cafe went on a two-month-long hiatus before re-emerging with a swanky overhaul of its entire space.
Along with the glow-up also came an effort to diversify into non-sandwich options, such as the immensely filling PBD big breakfast, filled with goodies including ricotta hotcakes and tater tots.
Hence, this was a shocking announcement that left many followers confused. Some even jokingly asked on Instagram if it’s an “early April Fools’ joke”.
But there’s a silver lining in the announcement, specifically a line that read: “PBD Singapore is closed, but it’s not over yet. Stay tuned.”
Perhaps a hint at a rebrand and possible return in the near future? Fingers crossed.
For more ideas on what else to eat in the CBD, read our story on new hidden bar Synthesis or our guide to scenic rooftop bars for a memorable date night.
Evan Mua
Author
Evan started off writing about food on Instagram, before joining outlets such as Buro and Confirm Good to pursue his passion. His best work usually comes after his first whisky shot in the morning.
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