Within days, one of D.C.’s popular cupcake bakeries went from serving up sweet treats to closing its doors. But not before employees faced the task of clearing out the Georgetown space.<\/p>\n
Within days, one of D.C.\u2019s popular cupcake bakeries went from serving up sweet treats to closing its doors, but not before employees faced the task of clearing out the Georgetown space.<\/p>\n
Sprinkles manager Leslie Wynter talked to WTOP as she called out to remaining employees which pieces had already been claimed and what still had to be cleared out.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf anyone wants a piece of Sprinkles before we\u2019re gone completely, they can come in and grab whatever is not bolted down, because that was one of the only directives we were given \u2014 is to clear everything out,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
The company closed all 20 locations and over 30 of its \u201ccupcake ATMs\u201d it operates across the nation.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re doing as much as we can,\u201d said Wynter, who explained she\u2019d been given until the end of the day Friday to empty the once-bustling bakery. \u201cWe\u2019ve got some former employees volunteering their time just out of love for us, but it is a very daunting task.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wynter said on Monday, general managers got \u201ca brief call just to let us know what was going on,\u201d and then by Tuesday morning, the word came down that the Georgetown store would be shut down for good on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd that was it,\u201d Wynter said matter-of-factly.<\/p>\n
Wynter had worked at Sprinkles for nearly four years and told WTOP the employees really did feel like family.<\/p>\n
\u201cMyself, along with my staff, will be in the unemployment line filing for all of the things that we can,\u201d she said. \u201cSome of my staff have said that they\u2019re going to start a book club and resume-writing workshops, and just doing everything that we can to support each other in the new year.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sprinkles is one of the businesses that kicked off the cupcake craze nearly two decades ago.<\/p>\n
Candace Nelson, the founder of Sprinkles, commented on the closures in a social media post<\/a> where she pointed out that she sold the company in 2012\u00a0to private investment firm KarpReilly, LLC.<\/p>\n \u201cI thought Sprinkles would keep growing and be around forever,\u201d Nelson said in the video. \u201cI thought it was going to be my legacy.\u201d<\/p>\n WTOP has reached out to Sprinkles for comment.<\/p>\n