Twelve Cupcakes is a Singapore based chain of cupcakeries selling cupcakes. Owned by Dhunseri Group, the cupcakery was established in 2011 and is one of the largest in Singapore. The company established a new dine-in cafe, Dulce and Sucre, in 2014 and currently has 29 stores, in 4 countries, with 16 located in Singapore.
Name
The number '12' is significant in daily lives as there are 12 months in a year, 12 numbers on a clock and 12 holes in a typical baking tray. Hence the name Twelve Cupcakes.
History
In 2011, Daniel Ong and Jaime Teo started Twelve Cupcakes with Jaime having created the recipes of all the cupcakes sold in the stores. The cupcakes sold were made to suit to the Asian palate, which are less sweet compared to western cupcakes. The first outlet of Twelve Cupcakes was opened at United Square Shopping Mall, in Novena, which started with two service staff. The company then expanded and opened three more outlets during the first year of operations and sold over three million cupcakes in July 2011. In January 2017, after the divorce of Daniel Ong and Jaime Teo in late 2016, the chain was sold to Dhunseri Group, which acquired it for S$2.5 million.
Dulce and Sucre
In 2014, Twelve Cupcakes started a new dessert cafe known as Dulce and Sucre by Twelve Cupcakes, where it sells freshly baked loaves, whoopie pies, push up cakes, parfaits, puddings, tiramisus, crunchies, coffees and other desserts. Currently there is only one outlet located at Orchard Gateway. It converted to a Twelve Cupcakes outlet in 2015.
Products and stores
Twelve Cupcakes features 60 flavours of cupcakes sold in its stores, with a standard '12 Everyday Flavours' and 50 specials sold on a rotational basis. A new flavour of cupcake is also launched monthly. Twelve Cupcakes new dine-in cafe outlet, Dulce and Sucre, offers a wider variety of menu items, with coffees, whoopie pies, push up cakes, parfaits and other baked items. The stores originally started with display counters made of wood and feature brick wall, but has since re-designed the interiors of newer outlets with a more modern glass display casing as well as a glossy feature wall. The chain cupcakery currently has 29 stores located in 4 locations with 4 in Hong Kong, 4 in Indonesia, 16 in Singapore, 5 in Taiwan, and in 2014, it was announced that 2 more stores are in the works which will be located in Japan and China. Twelve Cupcakes introduced the popular Honey Cakes in November 2015 and brownies in July 2016.
In 2012, Singapore Press Holdings demanded payment from the cupcakery for reproducing its articles online. The cupcakery put up articles written about their business on Facebook, Twitter and the company's website, which infringes the copyright of SPH and violates copyright law in Singapore.
In 2013, Twelve Cupcakes was alleged to be exploiting foreign workers by only paying them $3 an hour, whereas Singaporean workers earned more and had shorter working hours. The allegations have since been proven untrue by founder, Daniel Ong, who stated in an interview with Yahoo Singapore that his company is “employee-oriented”, citing examples of an incentive programme which rewards all employees with S$150 a month each if no one took MCs or was late for the month. Employees are invited for company functions, such as bowling, prawn fishing and company dinners.
