Just seven months after opening, Dudu Cantonese Cuisine — the buzzy collaboration between local F&B entrepreneur Tommy Pang and popular Guangzhou restaurant Zi Zhe Shi Tang (滋啫食堂) — has been forced to shut its outlet at a Eunos industrial canteen after its landlord decided not to renew the coffeeshop’s lease.
Tommy, 29, broke the news on Instagram last week, saying he and the canteen’s 11 other tenants had been told to vacate by the end of July. Two of the affected tenants had only opened two months earlier.
Speaking to 8days.sg, Tommy said he was informed of the decision only on June 21, leaving him just over a month to find a new home for the eatery and its 17 staff before their last operating day on July 26. Dudu serves about 450 diners a day.
Tommy is the second-generation owner of decade-old yong tau foo chain Bai Nian and pork leg rice hawker chain Shi Nian. His family also runs prawn noodle brand Hae! Mee and Bai Nian Food Court.
Tommy has been operating out of the Eunos unit since June 2024, when it was home to Hae! Prawn Claypot before he transformed it into Dudu last November.
Known for its modern take on Cantonese cuisine, Dudu has won fans with its crispy orh luak, pork pie (rou bing), and claypot dishes like baked yellow croaker fish with lantern chilli.
“It feels like we’re going back to zero”
Tommy says hearing the news came as a complete shock. He was left speechless and overwhelmed by the uncertainty.
“I didn’t know what to say. It’s not like I could shout at [the landlord] because he’s a 70-plus-year-old uncle,” he recalls.
Tommy says he had planned the business on the understanding that the landlord would continue operating the canteen until 2028, when JTC is expected to take back the site for redevelopment. So even though his current lease was expected to end around September this year, he never expected to have to relocate so soon.
“Had I known I’d have to move out this year, I might not even have opened here,” he says, adding that he does not intend to take legal action.
The timing made the news especially difficult to accept.
After a slow start following Dudu’s opening last November, business only began picking up in January. Today, the eatery serves about 450 to 500 diners every evening, with full houses even on weekdays. Tommy had also been preparing to roll out 10 new dishes before those plans were abruptly put on hold.
“We finally felt like all our hard work had paid off,” he says. “Then suddenly we were hit with this news. It feels like we’re going back to zero.”
Tommy had previously shared that he invested $90K to start Dudu, but declines to say if the business has since broken even.
Landlord cites rent hike
According to Tommy, the landlord decided not to renew the coffeeshop’s master lease with JTC after a rental increase, coupled with concerns that business at the industrial canteen had been slowing.
“I believe JTC increased his rent and it’s quite high, so he didn’t want to take the risk,” shares Tommy.
“He was also worried that if some tenants left midway because business wasn’t good, he’d have to bear the rent for the empty stalls himself.”
“Giving me only one month’s notice… I don’t know what to say”
Tommy says the landlord had made the decision much earlier but “waited until the last minute” to inform tenants.
“There was no indication this was going to happen.”
Tommy says he never thought to get the landlord’s assurance that the canteen would continue operating until 2028 in writing because they had built a good relationship over the past year.
“I just chose to blindly trust him,” he says.
Based on his lease agreement, Tommy believes he should have been given two months’ notice.
“Giving me only one month’s notice… I don’t know what to say.”
While he was initially upset, Tommy says he has since come to terms with the situation.
“At first I was a bit mad, but after calming down, I could understand his point of view. Everybody is just trying to survive,” he says of his landlord.
Lesson learnt
The experience has also changed how he will approach future tenancy agreements.
“No matter how clear the picture may seem, you have to protect yourself. Don’t just listen to what people say. Everything has to be in black and white.”
Relocation could cost at least five figures
Rather than dwell on the closure, Tommy says his focus is now on finding Dudu a new home.
The biggest challenge, he says, is finding a space large enough to house the restaurant’s sprawling kitchen, which occupies three and a half adjoining stalls.
He’s already started viewing potential sites across Singapore, though he admits suitable locations are hard to come by.
He’s also bracing himself for hefty relocation costs.
Besides the expense of moving large kitchen equipment, Tommy estimates the transition will cost at least five figures. The longer Dudu remains closed, the more he’ll have to spend paying his 17 staff — a total of about $2,000 a day — even though the eatery is not operating.
“I can’t just let them go. They’ve really put in a lot of time and effort with me,” he says.
Some of his staff, particularly foreign workers, have also been worried about whether their work permits will be affected if Dudu is unable to reopen quickly.
“I told them not to worry. I’ll definitely do my best to find a place because I don’t want to give up on this brand,” says Tommy.
Still, he’s choosing to remain optimistic.
“Everything happens for a reason. Maybe it’s a good test to see how strong our brand is,” he says.
“I believe it’s not about the location. It’s about the food and the people. If customers really like our food, they’ll still come and find us.”
Dudu Cantonese Cuisine is at 29 Eunos Ave 6, S409619. Open daily from 4.30pm to 11pm. Last day of operations is Jul 26. For reservations, call or WhatsApp 8760 1111. More details on Instagram.
Photos: Dudu Cantonese Cuisine, duduyuecai/Instagram
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