Sprinkles Cupcakes closes 20 years after first location opened in Beverly Hills

The popular gourmet cupcake chain Sprinkles Cupcakes closed its doors Wednesday, 20 years after opening its first location in Beverly Hills.

Founder Candace Nelson, who sold the company to private equity in 2012, announced the news in a social media post Wednesday, asking fans to share their memories of the brand.

“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. “I thought Sprinkles would keep growing and be around forever. I thought it was going to be my legacy.”

Nelson and her husband opened the first Sprinkles location in Beverly Hills in 2005, quickly attracting a celebrity clientele.

In the following years, the company opened locations across the country and launched its novel Cupcake ATM before selling the brand to private equity firm KarpReilly in 2012.

“I’m deeply grateful to the fans, customers, and community who showed up, celebrated with us, and made Sprinkles part of their traditions,” Nelson wrote.

The current owner hasn’t revealed the reason behind the permanent closure.