Gyu-Kaku to Exit Singapore After Final CHIJMES Service

Japanese yakiniku franchise Gyu-Kaku is set to leave Singapore after its final restaurant, at CHIJMES, completes service on 15 November 2026. The closure brings more than two decades of local operations to an end, following successive outlet closures across the island in 2025 and 2026.

Final service at CHIJMES

Gyu-Kaku announced the closure on 3 November, according to an AsiaOne report summarised by Eebsing. In its public announcement to customers, the chain thanked diners for their loyalty and support over two decades.

The CHIJMES restaurant is the brand’s last remaining Singapore outlet. Its closure therefore represents a complete departure from the local market, rather than a relocation or the withdrawal of a single branch from a continuing Singapore network.

Located at 30 Victoria Street, #01-01 CHIJMES, the restaurant has served diners for more than 20 years. Operations are scheduled to cease after 15 November, leaving customers a final opportunity to visit before the Japanese barbecue chain ends its Singapore presence.

For Singapore’s franchise community, the distinction between an individual outlet closure and a market exit matters. In this case, the final service date closes the remaining point of access to the brand locally, following an extended reduction in its restaurant footprint.

Two years of outlet closures

The CHIJMES announcement follows closures at several shopping centres. During 2026, Gyu-Kaku ceased operating at VivoCity, Kinex, The Star Vista and Waterway Point.

Those departures followed the closure of its UE Square, Novena Square and The Centrepoint branches in 2025. After the other restaurants shut, CHIJMES remained the sole operating outlet in Singapore.

The sequence places the latest announcement in a broader context: Gyu-Kaku’s withdrawal has unfolded through successive closures rather than a simultaneous shutdown of its Singapore restaurants. The last outlet’s departure is the concluding step in that contraction.

The closure timetable should not, however, be treated as an explanation for the business decision. It does not establish whether individual restaurants faced the same circumstances, or whether any particular commercial factor drove the final exit. Drawing conclusions about rents, customer demand or franchise arrangements from the closure list alone would go beyond the reported facts.

An international brand ends its local chapter

Founded in Japan in 1996, Gyu-Kaku specialises in yakiniku, the Japanese style of grilled-meat dining. Its international identity extends well beyond its Singapore operations.

The report describes a network of more than 700 restaurants in Japan, alongside branches in markets including Hong Kong, Taipei, Indonesia and the United States. The Singapore exit is therefore a local-market development, not an announcement that the wider brand is shutting down.

That distinction is relevant when assessing franchise news. A brand’s international scale and the continuity of its operations in a particular market are separate questions. Gyu-Kaku’s long local history and overseas presence provide context for the announcement, but neither changes the immediate outcome for Singapore diners: the CHIJMES closure will leave no remaining local restaurant.

For prospective franchise partners, the practical lesson is to examine local operating history alongside a brand’s global profile. Network size alone should not replace questions about the proposed market, the operating model and the responsibilities of the parties involved.

What customers should know

The reported opening hours for the final CHIJMES outlet are noon to 3pm and 5.30pm to 10pm from Monday to Friday. On Saturdays and Sundays, the restaurant operates from noon to 10pm.

Customers planning a farewell meal should confirm availability directly before travelling, particularly as the final service date approaches. The announced timetable places the last day of operations on Sunday, 15 November.

Practical takeaway: Diners have until the final CHIJMES service to visit Gyu-Kaku in Singapore. Franchise partners reviewing the news should distinguish the confirmed local exit from assumptions about its causes or the health of the brand’s international network.