Husband Of Deceased Bakery Owner, 35, Says He’ll Close Her Hawker Stall But Continue Her Cafe In Bugis

“The kids haven’t been expressing [their emotions] much”

Ken tells 8days.sg: “My family and I are coping with her passing. It has already happened and we can only focus on the kids (the couple’s son, aged 12, and daughter, 10,) at the moment. He adds with a sigh, “The kids haven’t been expressing [their emotions] much.”

He quietly tells 8days.sg the cause of Michelle’s death, but declines to share the details on record. 

He adds that he will shut down Michelle’s food court stall at Yew Tee Square’s Kopitiam at the end of this month, but will continue running her fancier 2112 bakery-cafe at OG Bugis.

A “joyful, helpful person” who had fluctuating moods due to depression

Ken remembers of his late wife: “She was a joyful person, very helpful, and always trying to put [others before herself]”.

Yet, behind the friendly, bubbly demeanor that Michelle’s customers saw (and have shared about on social media), Ken tells 8days.sg that in private, her spirits often fluctuated due to depression: “Sometimes her mood can be good, then all of a sudden without any reason, it can be extremely low”.

Michelle battled depression since 2018 and has been open about her mental health challenges on social media.  

Coping with the pressures of running a business exacerbated the situation. In an interview with 8days.sg last August, Michelle said: “I got very depressed [due to the poor business at her now-defunct bakery in Toa Payoh], so my husband asked me whether I wanted to just shut it down, but I didn’t want to waste my efforts. I know I can do it, I just need time.” She added back then that struggling to keep her biz afloat affected her mental health: “I am taking medication that controls my anxiety and depression. So when things get bad, I’ll just ‘hide’ and bake. There are times that I’ll shut down [the shop] to think of what’s the next step I should take to preserve this business”.

Late bakery boss found comfort in Nutella cookies after IMH admission

The millennial’s love for baking was first sparked, says Ken, “when she was admitted to IMH (Institute of Mental Health) a few years ago. We bought Nutella cookies for her. On the way back home from the hospital, she was really enjoying them.” 

“[Eating them] made her feel better. So instead of having to keep on buying them, she decided to bake her own Nutella cookies.” He adds that Michelle’s baking journey started as a home-based business with her mum in 2019, eventually growing into a physical bakery-cafe — first in (the now defunct branch at) Toa Payoh, then a fancier joint at Bugis OG, plus a rojak-cum-popiah stall in a Yew Tee food court that also sells some of her bakes.

“[Running] a business where you have something to worry about plays a part with whatever you’re battling with at that moment,” Ken reflects.

“Mental wellness in Singapore is underrated; it's very costly to seek treatment”

Ken tells us he met Michelle 14 years ago while working together in admin at a small firm. They got married in 2013, and share two kids. In a TikTok video on 31 Dec 2024, she spoke about the stress of running a business: “I feel good whenever I leave the shop at night – I keep smiling to myself, like, this is how far [I’ve come]. But there’s too much stress going on.”

“Since day one, she has been trying to work her way out [of her depression]. From our experience, the [Singapore] system doesn’t have proper support to cater to this group of people.” 

“Mental wellness in Singapore is very underrated. There's very little assistance provided and it's very costly to seek treatment. For example, a 45-minute session for a private psychology therapy session costs about $200. [If you want something cheaper], government hospitals require advance bookings many months ahead,” he elaborates.

Michelle had a fever that lasted for weeks after a holiday in Japan

In the weeks leading up to her passing, Michelle shared photos of her recent holiday in Japan on social media. Ken tells us that she developed a fever after the trip, which persisted for weeks. 

Despite being hospitalised and making numerous visits to clinics over two weeks, doctors were unable to determine the cause of her fever. During this time, Michelle took a break from work.

“It was not a life-threatening fever. Constantly throughout the day, it would subside for a while and come back again,” Ken says. “She was, of course, feeling especially down during this period.”

What’s next for 2112 Bakery?

Ken shares that Michelle’s mum, who co-founded the 2112 brand with her, co-owns the business. He says she has been helping with baking on and off, while also working at her own hawker stall in Bukit Canberra Hawker Centre selling other snacks.

Ken is not a shareholder and had no role in the biz before his wife’s death, other than occasionally helping her to clear tables at the cafe. While Ken works full-time in the car trading industry, he says his hours are flexible and he plans to keep the bakery-cafe at OG Bugis running. 

“Money has been invested into it and at the end of the day, it’s something Michelle left behind,” he says. “I’ll try to see what I can do. Closing [the entire business] is the last thing I want.” 

Is Ken keeping the bakery-cafe at OG open for the couple’s kids?

Is he keeping this business for their children? “I don’t think our kids would want to take over the biz [when they grow up], especially our son,” he adds. “But our daughter has been occasionally helping out at the cafe and learning some baking from her mum. If they want to [take over the biz in future], it’s their choice, I can’t stop them,” says Ken.

Unprofitable food court stall to shut down at month’s end

That being said, Ken has decided to shut down the 2112 food court stall at Yew Tee. He says it has been operating for over a year but has yet to turn a profit. “It’s so I can focus more on the bakery at OG Bugis and cut our losses at the rojak stall,” he adds. He is unsure of the exact amount of the losses.

Ken plans to manage the business from now on

Before her passing, Ken says Michelle managed every aspect of the business – from baking to operations. She also hired bakers, who will continue preparing her recipes, including the bakery’s signature items like the Nutella cookies, roll cakes and puffs. 

“[Michelle and her mum] started this biz together, so her mum will ensure the recipes are followed properly moving forward,” he explains. 

Ken plans to take over the management of the bakery-cafe: “Baking is not my forte, but I will very likely be taking over the business operations, marketing and sales – with some help along the way.” He adds: “I’ve spoken to some of our close friends who have worked in the baking scene for over 30 years, to see if anyone is interested to assist us or take over the bakery.”

“Anything is possible, nothing is final for now.”

Michelle planned to launch new menu items 

“She had planned to launch new items, such as savoury croissants.” He shares he will be working closely with their staff on upcoming products.

“Michelle’s mum is coping well”

While Michelle and her mum initially started out together via a home-based biz, both ladies later branched out into their own physical stores in 2020, each catering to different demographics. Michelle opened 2112 Bakery under an HDB block in Toa Payoh (now-defunct) selling bakes like roll cakes and cookies, while her mum runs a hawker stall called 2112 Snack Delights at Bukit Canberra Hawker Centre, serving local favourites like you tiao, prawn fritters and curry puffs. 

“[Her mum] is coping well. I’ll try not to disturb her as much as possible as the working hours at a hawker centre are longer than at the bakery,” shares Ken. 

Invested $120K into new Bugis location

Michelle told 8days.sg back in August 2024 that her first bakery in Toa Payoh suffered a $19K loss due to low footfall and high rent. Later that December, she made the decision to relocate from Toa Payoh to a spot with more dine-in space at OG in Bugis, investing $120K to open a new bakery-cafe there. Ken tells 8days.sg that the money came from both his and Michelle’s savings, along with a loan from her parents.

Hubby initially urged her to shut biz to focus on mental health

Before the move, Ken had advised Michelle to shut the business down instead of continuing to operate it. “My view was if you’re making a loss, might as well just keep it to that [amount] and close it.” He explains that he was also concerned about her mental well-being: “I had my objections, I thought it would be better if she could rest well without doing anything – at least for the time being.”

“[But ultimately], it was her decision [to continue with the biz]. I had to give her my full support, regardless of whether I agreed [with her decision] or not,” he muses. 

Bakery faring better after relocating to OG Bugis

There is a sliver lining: Ken shares that the OG Bugis bakery-cafe business is faring better than it did at the original Toa Payoh outlet – “by a few thousand dollars in revenue” monthly.

While the six-month-old bakery-cafe has yet to break even, it has been profitable. “Rental rates here and [at Yew Tee] are reasonable and the landlords are very nice compared to the ones we experienced before, which eases a lot of the burden,” he adds.

Creme De La Creme host Dennis Chew attended her wake

Michelle participated in season two of Mediacorp baking show Creme De La Creme in August 2023, to gain more exposure for her bakery. She placed sixth out of eight contestants. 

Ken shares that the show’s host, DJ and actor Dennis Chew, and guest judge pastry chef Then Chui Foong, along with several of her co-contestants attended Michelle’s wake, though he didn’t get a chance to speak with them.

Bakery customers attended wake too

Some 2112 Bakery customers, including those from the previous Toa Payoh outlet, also attended the funeral, says Ken. 

Remembering Michelle 

Ken says he enjoys all of Michelle’s cookies, but her Nutella ones are especially loved by him and the kids. “I’m a picky eater, so I’ve tried and tested every cookie flavour,” he notes. 

“I hope people will remember Michelle through her bakes, knowing that she was the one behind [treats like these] Nutella tarts,” he adds.

When asked for his fondest memory of Michelle, Ken muses: “Every memory [of her] is dear to me and the kids.” 

2112 Bakery (cafe in OG Bugis) is at #02-02 OG Albert, 60 Albert St, S189969.

2112 Bakery (with rojak & popiah) is at #02-222/224 Yew Tee Square Kopitiam, 624 Choa Chu Kang St, S680624. Its last day of operations is on 30 June 2025.

2112 Snack Delight (curry puffs and you tiao) is at #01-42 Bukit Canberra Hawker Centre, 21 Canberra Link, S756973. More info via website and Instagram.

If you or someone you know is having difficulties coping, here are some numbers to call:

Samaritans of Singapore: 1800-221-4444

Singapore Association for Mental Health: 1800-283-7019

CHAT @ *SCAPE: (+65) 6493 6500, (+65) 6493 6501

SAF Counselling Hotline: 1800-278-0022

Photos: 2112 Bakery

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