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End of an Era: Sprinkles Cupcakes Officially Closes All Stores Nationwide
The cupcake craze that defined a generation has officially come to a close.
As of this morning, Sprinkles Cupcakes has shuttered all of its locations nationwide. The Beverly Hills-born bakery, famous for pioneering the “cupcake ATM,” served its final Red Velvet and Dark Chocolate treats yesterday, New Year’s Eve, before closing its doors permanently. This includes the location in Disney Springs!
Related – Sprinkles Cupcakes in Disney Springs To Reportedly Close Tomorrow
The sudden closure marks a quiet end to a brand that once dominated pop culture. While rumors of financial trouble had circulated recently, the finality of the decision became clear only yesterday when online ordering systems showed “no times available” for dates starting January 1, 2026. Today, the ATMs are dark, and the bakeries are empty.
The shutdown was abrupt, catching both fans and staff off guard. Reports indicate that employees were given as little as one day’s notice before losing their jobs on the final day of the year. Social media channels for the brand have been flooded with comments from former staff members expressing frustration over the lack of severance and the sudden termination just after the busy holiday season.
Candace Nelson, who founded Sprinkles in 2005 and ignited the premium cupcake trend, took to Instagram yesterday to share her heartbreak. Although she sold the company to private equity firm KarpReilly Capital Partners in 2012 and has not been involved in operations since, the news hit close to home.
“I thought Sprinkles would keep growing and be around forever,” Nelson said in an emotional video. “I thought it was going to be my legacy. This isn’t how I thought the story would go.”
Sprinkles expanded from a single shop in Beverly Hills to over 20 locations across six states, including Texas, Arizona, and New York. It became a cultural icon in the mid-2000s, appearing on television shows and drawing lines down the block. The invention of the Cupcake ATM—a 24-hour vending machine for fresh cupcakes—became a viral sensation that cemented its place in dessert history.
However, analysts suggest that the “cupcake bubble” that Sprinkles helped inflate has long since burst, with consumers moving toward newer dessert fads like gourmet cookies.
For those waking up in 2026 hoping for one last sugar rush, the opportunity has passed. Sprinkles is no more.
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