We had no warning: Twelve Cupcakes workers recall shock closure that took away their livelihood

For many employees, Twelve Cupcakes was more than just a workplace. It was a source of familiarity, stability and livelihood.

Then, with little warning, the bakery chain shut its doors, leaving workers without jobs and owed salaries.

Three former employees share their experience with the company's sudden closure.

Blindsided by the closure

For Cheryl Sitoh, 68, Twelve Cupcakes was more than a job. It was a routine she had grown to love.

She joined the company in 2021. Her typical workday revolved around arranging the display counters, baking cookies and serving customers.

“I enjoyed working at Twelve Cupcakes. Every day, I had my routine and I loved it,” she shared.

For Cheryl, other than a noticeable drop in sales, everything else was largely business as usual.

“The sales had been going down for some time, but we just continued to try our best,” she said.

She never imagined the company was on the brink of collapse.

On 29 October 2025, while attending to a customer, Cheryl received a call from a colleague urging her to check her WhatsApp.

The message cold and direct: Twelve Cupcakes was shutting down.

Within two hours, she went from taking orders to turning customers away.

“It was very shocking,” she recalled. “Without any warning or advance notice, my livelihood was gone.”

The closure not only left her unemployed, but with outstanding salary payments.

The signs were there

Much like Cheryl, Janet Cheong, 72, found comfort in her role at Twelve Cupcakes.

The environment was simple and colleagues largely kept to themselves.

But beneath the daily routine, Janet noticed subtle warning signs. When equipment broke down, repair requests went unanswered. Even after repeated calls, no technicians came.

“I felt something must be wrong,” she said.

Still, she never expected the end to come so abruptly.

One day while on leave, Janet received call from a colleague urging her to return to the outlet immediately. By the time she arrived, staff were clearing out their belongings, shelves were being emptied and unsold cakes were being thrown away or given away.

There had been no warning, no time to prepare and no chance to plan for what came next.

For Janet, the closure was not just the loss of a job. It was the sudden disappearance of a workplace that had been part of her life for six years.

A blow he never saw coming

Dandan Jinger Ramos, 54, sensed trouble not long before Twelve Cupcakes closed its doors.

He noticed that the regular pest control services employed by company had also stopped making their rounds.

He said: “Although I clean the counters properly, without the pesticide, cockroaches will still come.”

Then the announcement of the liquidation came, and Dandan was devastated. He shared that he was living from pay cheque to pay cheque and as a Singapore Permanent Resident, his daughter’s school fees cost about $1,000 a month.

The sudden loss of income felt like “a big punch” to his finances.

A lifeline in uncertain times

In the aftermath of the closure, many workers found themselves overwhelmed by uncertainty.

Some were unsure how to recover their unpaid wages. Others were focused on finding their next job while trying to keep up with daily expenses.

That was when the Food, Drinks and Allied Workers Union (FDAWU) stepped in.

For Cheryl, the union's outreach came at a time when she felt "stranded and abandoned" by the company.

“The company failed us, but the union came to help. It's like a rescue,” she said.

The trio shared that FDAWU helped them navigate the claims process, handled paperwork and calculations, and kept them updated on developments.

The union also provided immediate assistance, including grocery vouchers to help affected union members cope with their sudden loss of income.

Dandan, who was hospitalised shortly after the closure, recalled how the vouchers helped him and his family through a difficult period.

“I was so surprised to receive the $150 worth of vouchers. It was a big help for my family when it came to buying groceries,” he said.

Janet, a union member for more than three decades, was confident help would come. She shared that she was previously in another company that went out of business, and that her previous union had helped its members get back on their feet.

“The [previous] union would always help us, go to our office and give us information. So this time, I believed the union would also help us,” she said.

As of May 2026, FDAWU has helped its members affected by the closure of Twelve Cupcakes recover 50 per cent of their outstanding claims so far.

Calls for stronger safeguards

The experience has also left Cheryl, Janet, and Dandan to reflect on how employees could be better protected when companies fail.

All three said they would have appreciated earlier communication, giving them time to prepare financially and explore alternative employment options.

“They should have informed us that they are closing down soon and having financial problems, instead of just dumping us,” Cheryl said.

Dandan believed stronger safeguards were needed. He suggested that companies maintain dedicated funds that could be used to compensate workers if a business collapses unexpectedly.

For the former employees, the lessons from Twelve Cupcakes extend beyond one company's closure.

Their experience highlights the importance of having systems in place and union support to ensure workers are not left to bear the cost when businesses fail.

The Food, Drinks and Allied Workers Union (FDAWU) is committed to helping its members deal with their work-related problems. Find out more about their services today.