Singapore’s buzzy Italian sandwich shop Mamma Mia Focaccia has closed its doors less than a year after opening, ending a short run that began with long queues and strong customer interest.
The Amoy Street deli shut on Sept. 23, together with its hidden champagne bar, The Champagnery. The operators announced the closure on social media, saying rising costs had made it increasingly difficult to keep the businesses afloat.
Mamma Mia Focaccia opened in October 2025 under Spanish chef Houssein Haffian and Italian chef Nico. The bright red-fronted deli specialised in freshly made focaccia sandwiches filled with Italian ingredients and quickly attracted attention from diners.
Among its signature creations was a sandwich combining mortadella, stracciatella, pistachio cream and pistachio shavings. Other offerings included porchetta with Italian greens, a vegetarian option featuring grilled vegetables and a sweet Nutella-filled focaccia.
The concept expanded in November 2025 with the opening of The Champagnery, a hidden bar located behind a red door inside the deli. From 5pm, customers could order champagne, cocktails and Mamma Mia’s sandwiches, with DJs providing entertainment into the evening.
Despite the early popularity, the business ultimately faced the same cost pressures affecting much of Singapore’s food-and-beverage industry.
In its farewell message, the team said the F&B and nightlife scene had been going through a difficult period and expressed hope that conditions would improve for businesses that remained open.
The closure is part of a wider pattern of rapid turnover across Singapore’s dining industry.
Data from the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority showed that 2,101 F&B businesses closed between January and August 2026, a 25.1 per cent increase from the same period a year earlier. At the same time, 2,594 new F&B businesses were registered during the first seven months of the year, highlighting the industry’s unusually high level of churn.
Mamma Mia’s parent group, Two S Creatives, is also behind other F&B concepts including Asador and Next Door Spanish Cafe. Another restaurant associated with the group, Los Amigos, closed in March.
The closure illustrates the difficult economics facing restaurants even when a concept generates strong initial buzz. Popularity can create queues and social-media attention, but operators still have to contend with rent, labour, ingredients and other operating expenses.
Singapore’s dining market remains active despite the closures. New concepts continue to open across the island, meaning restaurants are competing for customers while also dealing with rapidly changing food trends and higher operating costs.
For Mamma Mia Focaccia, the closure marks the end of a concept that managed to build a following in less than a year but ultimately could not overcome the financial pressures of running an F&B business in Singapore.
Its departure also adds another name to an increasingly long list of restaurants and food businesses closing their doors in 2026 — even as new operators continue to enter Singapore’s highly competitive dining scene.
