KALAMAZOO, MI — A local business stopped baking on Aug. 15. Two weeks later, Friday, Aug. 29, was the last official day for Love Muffins before it closed for good.

Final deliveries are still available in some stores around town, according to Love Muffins Facebook page, but the business is no longer taking orders.

Eileen Pawlicki started Love Muffins with her daughters five years ago, she previously told MLive/Kalamazoo Gazette.

“I used to make this recipe like once or twice a year and just share it with people I knew,” Pawlicki said previously. “But when people started coming to my house to buy the carrot cake, I would end up on the front sidewalk for 15 or 20 minutes having full blown personal conversations with strangers.”

Pawlicki’s recipe was a combination of her mom’s beloved carrot cake and her dad’s signature cheesecake topping.

love muffinsLove Muffins owner Eileen Pawlicki said the muffin recipe was originally her mom’s. Customers say she has perfected it.Audrey Whitaker

Her pastime turned into a business in 2020 without any formal training in baking or running a business, she said.

“With the support of friends, family and neighbors, my daughters and I set out on this journey to share our love for my late mother’s carrot cake with you all,” she said in a Facebook post.

“Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

Love Muffins moved into a shared kitchen at 126 E. Cork Street last June.

Pawlicki and three part-time bakers turned out about 1,000 muffins a week, she said.

The muffins were available for order, as well as in 16 stores and restaurants in Kalamazoo, Portage, Vicksburg and Battle Creek.

Bronson Methodist Hospital, her biggest customer, received their last delivery on Aug. 17.

love muffinsLove Muffins was located in the former home of Boonzaijer Bakery, 126 E. Cork Street.Audrey Whitaker

Pawlicki declined to share more information about her decision to stop baking, but said she needs to prioritize her health at this time.

“Not only did you buy our products,” she said. “You also helped heal a part of me, so that I came out stronger, more confident and loved.”

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