Bakery Chain Twelve Cupcakes Founded By Daniel Ong & Jaime Teo Shuts Down

"We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience caused and would like to express our heartfelt thanks for your kind support and partnership over the years," added the bakery.

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Founded by former DJ and then-wife before being sold off

As of writing, no reason has been given for the closure of Twelve Cupcakes, which had about 20 outlets at locations including Changi City, Sentosa and Star Vista.

Twelve Cupcakes was founded in 2011 by ex-radio DJ Daniel Ong and his then-wife, the former Miss Universe Singapore Jaime Teo. Following their divorce in 2016, Ong and Teo sold the company to India-based conglomerate Dhunseri Group for $2.5 million.

Legal woes

In January 2021, Twelve Cupcakes, under Dhunseri Group, was fined $119,500 for underpaying seven employees about $114,000 over two years, between December 2016 and November 2018. 

At the time, the chain claimed that it had continued the practice that was installed by the previous management, by indicating on paper a salary that was higher than what the workers actually received.

Months later, Ong and Teo were each fined $65,000 under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act.

Losses reported over past few years

The Business Times reported that Twelve Cupcakes posted a $1.2 million net loss for the latest financial year ended Mar 31, 2025, according to Handshakes data. This is an increase from the loss of $1.1 million in FY2024, and from $463,618 in FY2023. 

Source: CNA/hq

The original version of this story first appeared in CNA Lifestyle. 

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