Another Donut Shop

You learn new things from different places everyday, if you look hard enough. Today, I learnt a new word – portmanteau, which either refer to a day bag that opens on both side to put cloths and other barang barang separate in the middle; or it can refer to a word made from a blend of two words, e.g smog (smoke + fog), brunch (breakfast + lunch), and Cruffin (croissant + muffin).

All the bakery operations, including the location on Larkin Street in San Francisco and an outpost in Los Angeles, have shut down for now, according to former CEO Aaron Caddel. Court documents show the company filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy* in February 2021.

Caddel started the bakery empire known for its Instagram-able pastries, like the cruffin, with Ry Stephen in 2014, expanding to Los Angeles and eventually opening 18 international franchise locations. Caddel told the Chronicle that his involvement with the company ended after an acquisition that started in late 2019 “fell apart in the wake of the pandemic,” leading to lawsuits. Caddel has since relocated to North Carolina; the Larkin Street location of Mr. Holmes has been dark since May 2021. 

The San Francisco-born brand has shuttered its doors in the Bay Area, and Mr Holmes Bakehouse Singapore will now stand to be the bakery’s flagship locale, managed by regional partner and lifestyle group Caerus Holding. The decor seemed to be the in-vogue Barbie pink, with white table tops accentuated with brass trimmings, very classy and crass at the same time.

The donuts were made with hand-rolled brioche dough filled with a smorgasbord of curds, creams and jams. I have to say the baked goods were quite delicious, especially with a cup of hot coffee. They were pretty to look at, but a mess to eat as the filling oozed out in all directions.

OK, many fads come and go. So go and try it before they are all gone (for good).

Mr Holmes Bakehouse (Pacific Plaza)
9 Scotts Road #01-01/02/03, Singapore 228210

Visited Jul 2023

*While Chapter 7 is about liquidating a business or personal debt, Chapter 11 is designed to reorganize crippling debt while keeping a business open and maintaining day-to-day operations.

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