Dudu Cantonese Cuisine, a popular eatery in Eunos, has been forced to shut down after its landlord decided not to renew the lease for the industrial canteen where it operates. The owner, Tommy Pang, is devastated and overwhelmed by the sudden news, as he had invested $90K into the business and was only informed of the decision on June 21, leaving him with just over a month to find a new home for the eatery and its 17 staff. The timing is particularly difficult, as business had only recently started to pick up after a slow start following Dudu's opening last November. Tommy is the second-generation owner of the Bai Nian and Shi Nian chains, and had planned the business on the assumption that the landlord would continue operating the canteen until 2028. He is now focusing on finding a new location for Dudu, but the challenge is finding a space large enough to house the restaurant's kitchen, which occupies three and a half adjoining stalls. The relocation will cost at least five figures, and the longer Dudu remains closed, the more Tommy will have to spend paying his staff, who are worried about the impact on their work permits. Despite the setback, Tommy remains optimistic, believing that the brand will survive and that customers will still come to find Dudu, even if it's not in the same location.
