Sprinkles Cupcakes, a company famous for selling sweet treats in vending machines known as "cupcake ATMs," has shut down after 20 years of operation around the United States, according to its former owner. "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," said Candace Nelson, who started the company after she lost her job in 2005. The closure was announced Dec. 30, the AP reports.
Nelson started Sprinkles Cupcakes in her own kitchen, and the first location was in a small Beverly Hills storefront that had previously been a sandwich shop. The brand would go on to ascend to national fame, and fans took to social media following the company's announcement to lament the closure. The company's cupcake-dispensing machines in malls and airports briefly went viral on TikTok for the not-so-subtle "I love Sprinkles" jingle that played repeatedly while a mechanical arm delivered the dessert.
Nelson sold her business to private equity firm KarpReilly LLC in 2012 after the company had expanded to 10 locations across the country. The firm owns dozens of other companies whose products include a health food home delivery service, kombucha, and protein wellness shakes. KarpReilly did not respond to an emailed request for comment Friday evening. Neither the firm nor Nelson provided a reason for the cupcake company's closure.
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