Burger joint FatPapas to close Bali Lane outlet, new halal concepts on the horizon

FatPapas, the halal offshoot of Fatboy's The Burger Bar, is counting down the days to the closure of its remaining outlet on Bali Lane. 

On Tuesday (Sep 7), the burger joint opened by Singapore rapper Sheikh Haikel and Fatboy's founder Bernie Tay, announced on social media it would shut down its flagship outlet at 17 Bali Lane on Sep 12.

Its outlets in Century Square and Waterway Point closed in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic after it got "too dangerous" to keep them, said marketing and communications executive Annabelle Francis.

"It's a very challenging time for F&B with COVID-19 and we tried our best to keep our business running," Francis told CNA Lifestyle.

But the "heavy construction" outside the unit on Bali Lane by the Land Transport Authority made it difficult to do so. The construction is expected to last "another eight years", said Francis, who is married to Haikel. "Therefore, we feel it’s a good time to regroup, recuperate and recreate something exciting for everyone soon!"

The group's other restaurant along the same street, Wakuwaku Yakiniku, is unaffected by the construction and will continue to operate.

Francis shared that the popular Japanese barbecue spot will have "exciting new dishes" in the coming months.

She also said they were planning "a few new halal concepts" that they were looking forward to releasing and that they were at the location scouting stage.

"We hope everyone will stay close and continue to support us," she said.

In a recent video on social media, Haikel is seen tucking into some of his favourite dishes from the FatPapas menu, including the country fried steak, as he invited diners to enjoy the food one last time and relive their memories of the joint.

"To bigger, better things," he said.