Sprinkles Cupcakes Closes All Locations After 20 Years

Sprinkles Cupcakes, the gourmet bakery chain established in 2005, has permanently closed all its locations and Cupcake ATMs across the United States as of December 31, 2025.

Founder Candace Nelson, who sold the company to private equity firm KarpReilly in 2012, expressed her surprise and sadness over the closure.

"Even though I sold the company over a decade ago, I still have such a personal connection to it, and this isn't how I thought the story would go," Nelson said.

The sudden shutdown has left employees and customers without prior notice. Reports indicate that staff were informed with less than a day's warning.

"Cupcakes are sweet. One-day layoff notices are not. Yikes, what a bold way to celebrate 20 years and ring in the new year," one user commented on the company's Instagram page.

Sprinkles Cupcakes was renowned for its innovative Cupcake ATMs, which dispensed fresh cupcakes 24/7, and had expanded to multiple locations nationwide, including a prominent store in Disney Springs at Walt Disney World.

The current owners have not provided a public explanation for the closure.