One of Singapore's most stubbornly original dessert shops is calling time. Tom's Palette, which has been making gelato in-house since 2005 and building a reputation on flavours no one else would attempt — salted egg yolk, nasi lemak, Hainanese kaya, bitter gourd — announced on 11 August 2026 that it is winding up after 21 years.
> Quick view: Both outlets close — Bugis and Kovan. Mid to late October 2026, exact final day not announced. Until then, an "Encore Collection" brings back the most-requested flavours; the 11–20 August run is chocolate-led.
What is actually closing, and when
This is not a branch trimming its estate. Both Tom's Palette outlets are going:
| Outlet | Address |
|---|---|
| Bugis | 51 Middle Road #01-01, Singapore 188959 |
| Kovan | 212 Hougang Street 21 #01-333, Singapore 530212 |
The Bugis shop is the continuation of the original, which started life in Shaw Tower before moving to Middle Road; the Kovan outlet is the newer of the two, opened in 2024.
On timing, the brand has been deliberately loose: it says it will wind up in mid to late October 2026 and has not published a final trading day. Treat any specific "last day" you see circulating as unconfirmed until it appears on the shop's own channels.
The Encore Collection — what's back so far
Rather than quietly running down, Tom's Palette is spending its last weeks replaying the hits. The shop is bringing back its most-requested flavours from a library it puts at roughly 260 built up over 21 years, under the name Encore Collection.
The first announced window, 11 to 20 August 2026, leans chocolate:
- Nasty Mix — the peanut one
- Mocha Macadamia Nut
- Melt & Sizzle, Version 2
Flavours rotate rather than all landing at once, and the shop has been taking requests in its Instagram comments — where the asks so far have run to dark chocolate with stout, triple coconut, nori chocolate and the salted egg versions. Nothing past the August window has been confirmed, so plan around what's announced rather than what you hope will return.
Why it's closing
The explanation given was structural rather than a rent or lease story. A spokeswoman said the dessert industry really only does well for about three hours out of the day, and that is not enough to pay for the 21 hours when there are not a lot of people through the door. In its own announcement the shop put it simply: after 21 years, it was sorry it could not keep the dream running longer.
It is not an isolated case. 1,777 F&B businesses closed in Singapore in the first half of 2026 — the backdrop against which a 21-year-old independent with a devoted following still could not make the maths work.
Someone could still take it over
The shop is not simply switching off. Tom's Palette is being offered for sale — the business together with its 250-plus recipes and the brand — for a buyer who wants to keep it running. No buyer has been announced, and the October timeline stands unless the brand says otherwise. If it does find one, the recipes are the real asset here; two decades of flavour development is not something a new shop can shortcut.
What to do about it
- Don't leave it to October. A closing window rather than a closing date means the final weeks are unpredictable, and the last days of a 21-year shop draw crowds. September is the sensible visit.
- Go on a weekday if you want to actually taste-test across the counter rather than order under queue pressure.
- Ask for your flavour. The encore line-up is being shaped by requests on @tomspalette — if there's one you have been mourning since 2015, that is where to say so.
- Check before a special trip. Any firm final date, and each new encore drop, will appear on the shop's own Instagram first.
*Photo: Tom's Palette official. Facts from Tom's Palette's own announcement (@tomspalette, 11 August 2026), the brand's website, and subsequent reporting; the shop has not published a final trading day. Flavours, hours and availability can change — check the brand's channels before making a trip.*
