SINGAPORE - Are character cafes losing their draw?

Both Gudetama Cafe and its neighbouring My Melody Cafe at Suntec City are set to close on Nov 17.

In a press statement from food and beverage company Eggs & More, which runs both cafes, it said the closing date marks the end of its partnership and license agreement with Japanese company Sanrio Co.

The name of the lazy egg character by Sanrio is a mash up between "gude", Japanese for someone or something with no energy or strength, and "tama" from the Japanese word tamago, or egg.

To mark its closure, the Gudetama Cafe will offer a special discount on its food and merchandise from Oct 10 to Nov 17. Diners can get 33 per cent off three items on the menu (with a minimum order of two mains and one dessert), as well as 33 per cent off merchandise.

The 2,300 sq ft Gudetama Cafe opened on Nov 30, 2016 to much fanfare, back when character cafes were all the rage. The cafe had a separate section that was converted last year (2018) to house the garden-themed My Melody Cafe.

Back then, its opening added to the slew of themed cafes in Singapore, such as Hello Kitty Orchid Garden Singapore at Changi Airport and Pompompurin Cafe at Orchard Central - both of which have shuttered.

One of those still surviving is Japanese-French inspired cafe Kumoya in Jalan Klapa, which constantly changes the featured characters to keep things fresh for diners. Its recently launched collaboration with Sesame Street will run till Dec 29.