SINGAPORE - Hokkaido's Bake Cheese Tart will close its final outlet and exit the Singapore market by the end of October.

The brand told The Straits Times the move will not affect its other overseas branches, such as those in Bangkok and Seoul.

Bake previously had outlets at Westgate and Nex malls, and its sole remaining outlet at Ion Orchard will be taken over by Croquant Chou Zakuzaku in end-November. Bake's sister brand will offer the famous Croquant Chou - a stick version of a cream puff filled with fresh cream.

When Bake first opened here in Ion Orchard in 2016, fans queued for up to two hours to get their hands on the tarts, which have a mousse-like cream cheese filling and crisp pastry. Many bakeries here, including Paris Baguette, BreadTalk, and Prima Deli, also launched their own versions of the snack.

In an interview with ST in 2016, Bake's president and chief executive Shintaro Naganuma had already expressed his intention to bring Croquant Chou Zakuzaku to Singapore.

Besides cream puffs, the brand also offers soft-serve ice cream made with Hokkaido milk and coated with croquant chunks as well as crispy puffs filled with ice cream.

Prior to Croquant Chou Zakuzaku's debut here, one can get a taste of its snacks at Takashimaya Square's Japan Food Matsuri, which runs from Thursday (Oct 3) to Oct 20.