Casual bistro Dome Cafe will close its last outlet in Singapore on June 23, after operating for more than 20 years. It is one of the first cafes which started serving speciality coffee here.
The lone outlet is located at level one of Parkway Parade. The eatery, which specialises in Australian cuisine and coffee, serves up a menu which includes pastas and salads.
As a farewell to customers, the eatery brought back favourites like its Original Club Sandwich ($16++), Chicken & Avocado Sandwich ($14.90++), Iced Mocha with Ice Cream ($6.90++) served in Dome Cafe's signature mug, and Banana Smoothie ($7.90++). These were reintroduced on Tuesday.
Dome Cafe first opened in Singapore in 1993 under a Singaporean joint venture called Dome Holding. A second outlet opened five months later. By 1996, there were five Dome cafes and two Olio Dome brasseries, which were separate from the Dome chain. In July 1996, Suntec Investment acquired a 51 per cent stake in Dome Holding, forming Suntec Dome Holding.
When Bishan Community Club opened in 1998, a country-themed Dome Cafe outlet there served spaghetti, pizzas, gourmet pies, as well as coffee. By 2009, there were 10 Dome Cafe outlets in Singapore.
In a press release yesterday, Ms Rebecca Lim, the managing director of Suntec F&B Holdings, the food and beverage arm of holding company Ministry of Culture which owns the Dome Cafe franchise here, said: "We will be channelling our resources to concepts that are aligned with the interests and welfare of the customers we serve."
Ms Esther Pang, 42, a corporate affairs officer, said she felt sad at the thought of Dome Cafe closing its last outlet. She used to frequent the now defunct outlets at the Singapore Art Museum and Promenade about every other week.
She said: "Their frothy iced coffee, chicken pies and piping hot paninis made my Sundays."
Ms Meredith Koh, 19, an administrative assistant, added: "My mother loves Dome Cafe... Somehow I've never joined in or had food there... Now that it's closing, it's rather Singaporean of me, but I'll be taking my mother there for her last and my first time."
