Hao Open Foods, which operated the Yole and Killiney outlets at Taste Orchard, filed the lawsuit on August 5, alleging it was forced to vacate its premises before its tenancy expired after OG required Hao Mart to ensure all sub-tenants left the property, according to The Straits Times.
According to its statement of claim, Hao Open Foods entered into two tenancy agreements with Hao Mart in November 2023 to lease two units at Taste Orchard. The tenancies were supposed to run until November 2026.
Under the agreements, Hao Open Foods leased two units where it sold ice cream and ice cream products under the Yole brand and cooked food under the Killiney brand.
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Taste Orchard building in Singapore before its closure. Photo via Google Maps/Wei Jie Lim |
The company alleges that OG was aware of, approved and did not object to the sub-tenancies before later taking the position that they were unauthorized and requiring Hao Mart to ensure all sub-tenants vacated the premises.
Hao Open Foods is seeking damages, alleging misrepresentation, negligence, wrongful interference with trade and induced breaches of contract by OG.
The latest lawsuit adds to a series of High Court disputes arising from the closure of Taste Orchard.
Taste Orchard opened in February 2024 after Hao Mart became the master tenant of five retail floors at 160 Orchard Road, formerly occupied by OG’s Orchard Point department store, under a seven and a half year lease.
The food and lifestyle concept housed food and beverage, retail and service operators as sub-tenants alongside Hao Mart’s premium Eccellente supermarket.
The retail concept ceased operations after OG terminated Hao Mart’s master lease in September 2025 over alleged rent arrears and unauthorized subletting of parts of the premises. It required Hao Mart and its sub-tenants to vacate the premises.
Separately, Hao Mart has been involved in several High Court proceedings involving OG, property agency PropNex Realty and one of its agents, skincare company Belovie, and hair and scalp care company Bio Organicare Scalp, according to The Business Times.
Hao Mart’s final Eccellente outlet at Marina Square closed in June after its lease expired. There are six Hao Mart stores still operating in early August, while the retailer’s website continued to list 20 outlets, including several that had already closed.