The cafe announced on Facebook on Thursday that it would close the same day, calling it "a heavy day" for the team. It later updated the final day of operations to Aug. 10.

Founded in 2006 by French pastry chef Laurent Bernard and his wife Iveta, Laurent Cafe & Chocolate Bar helped shape Singapore's artisanal chocolate scene long before locally founded specialty chocolate brands became widespread. The cafe became known for its handmade chocolate bonbons, chocolate soufflés and cakes.

Bernard told AsiaOne the business could no longer cope with the "financial burden" of operating the cafe after being given seven days to vacate the premises over unpaid rent.

He said the building recently changed ownership, and the new landlord would only allow the business to remain if it paid 12 months' rent in advance.

The cafe had also struggled with declining foot traffic in the Robertson Quay area and rising rental costs, he added.

Laurent Cafe & Chocolate Bar at Robertson Quay, Singapore. Photo from the cafe's Facebook

"The biggest loss is not financial to me, it’s emotional," Bernard told 8days.sg. "It touches me deeply to see so much empathy [from my customers regarding the cafe's upcoming closure]. This cafe means a great deal to many residents of the neighbourhood. I’m completely devastated by what’s happening to us."

Although the cafe will close on Aug. 10, the Laurent Bernard Chocolatier brand will continue operating online, Bernard said.

Customers will still be able to order its products for delivery or self-pickup from the company's central kitchen on MacTaggart Road.

Bernard said he has no immediate plans to open another cafe and will instead focus on growing the online business.

The closure comes days after Pantler, a River Valley patisserie known for its Japanese-French pastries and desserts, announced it would close on Aug. 30 unless a new owner takes over the business.

In an Instagram post on Thursday, Pantler thanked customers for supporting the business over the past 12 years. Co-founder Matthias Phua later told The Straits Times the planned closure was driven by rising operating costs and a challenging business environment.

The two closures reflect broader pressures facing Singapore's food and beverage sector, where restaurants and cafes have increasingly cited rising costs and weaker consumer spending.

Singapore recorded 1,267 food business closures between January and April this year, nearly half the total number of closures recorded throughout last year.