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6h ago

Sprinkles Cupcakes Closes All U.S. Stores After 20 Years

Founder Candace Nelson confirmed Dec. 31 as the final day, with no detailed explanation from the chain’s current owners.

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STORY MATCHER FOR ROBERT MACPHERSON -- Erin Frederic fulfills a customer's order for cupcakes at Sprinkles Cupcakes in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, DC, August 2, 2012. First opened in 2005 in Beverly Hills, California, as what the owners claim was the world's first exclusively cupcake bakery, the store quickly became a hit, expanded throughout the United States and soon will open overseas.
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Overview

  • All locations, including Disney Springs at Walt Disney World, were found closed on Jan. 1 following the shutdown.
  • Nelson, who sold the company to private equity firm KarpReilly in 2012–2013, said she has no ownership or operational role.
  • Employees across multiple stores say they received only one day’s notice of layoffs, according to social-media posts.
  • A closure notice reported by news outlets said the wind-down was due to “financial conditions” stemming from unforeseen business circumstances.
  • Before closing, the brand operated about 21 shops in six states and Washington, D.C., plus roughly 25 Cupcake ATMs, whose future remains unclear.