Sprinkles Cupcakes, a popular bakery known for its signature treats and innovative cupcake ATM, has abruptly ceased all operations, including its prominent location at Walt Disney World's Disney Springs. The nationwide shutdown, which occurred without prior public notice, has left customers and employees surprised, marking the end of the brand's decade-long presence at the popular entertainment complex.
Key Takeaways
- Sprinkles Cupcakes has permanently closed all its stores across the country, including its location at Disney Springs which opened in 2016.
- The company's founder, Candace Nelson, confirmed the end of the brand in a social media post, though she has not been involved since selling the company in 2013.
- Employees were reportedly informed of the closure on New Year's Eve, following a busy holiday season.
- The closure affects both the main storefront and the unique cupcake ATM at Disney Springs.
A Sudden End for a Sweet Staple
Visitors to Disney Springs over the holiday weekend were met with an unexpected sight: the shuttered storefront of Sprinkles Cupcakes. The bakery, a fixture since 2016, closed its doors for good as part of a complete shutdown of the brand across all six states where it operated.
The closure was confirmed on December 31 by company founder Candace Nelson in an Instagram post. Nelson, who established the brand in 2005 but sold it to a private equity firm in 2013, expressed her surprise at the development.
"It’s surreal to see this chapter come to a close and it’s not how I imagined the story would unfold," Nelson wrote. The company itself has not issued a public statement regarding the closures.
The company's official Instagram account has since been deleted, and the Disney Springs website has been updated to remove any operating hours for the former bakery, effectively erasing its presence.
Employees Left in the Dark
The abruptness of the decision has drawn criticism, particularly concerning its impact on employees. Reports indicate that staff members were informed of their job loss on New Year's Eve, just after completing one of the busiest and most profitable periods of the year.
Kimberly Salgado, who worked at a Sprinkles location in California for three years, shared her experience with the New York Post, a sentiment likely echoed by staff at other locations.
"We did amazing during the holidays, our bakery has always done good it seemed like everything was normal," Salgado stated. "[Management] let us be in the dark and spend our Christmas Eve there and work hard during the holidays to get them that holiday profit and then they just dumped us on New Year’s Eve."
This sudden termination of employment for hundreds of workers heading into the new year has become a central part of the story surrounding the brand's demise.
A Decade at Disney Springs
The Disney Springs Sprinkles location opened in 2016 during a period of significant expansion for the brand. For nearly ten years, it served Disney-themed cupcakes and other treats to thousands of visitors, becoming a well-known stop in the shopping and dining district.
The Rise and Fall of a Cupcake Pioneer
From Celebrity Favorite to Market Casualty
Sprinkles is often credited with helping launch the gourmet cupcake trend in the mid-2000s. The brand gained significant media attention and endorsements from celebrities like Oprah Winfrey and Drew Barrymore, fueling its rapid growth.
A key innovation was the "cupcake ATM," a 24/7 vending machine that dispensed freshly baked cupcakes. The Disney Springs location featured both a traditional storefront and one of these popular ATMs, allowing guests to purchase treats even after store hours.
The History of Disney Springs
The area now known as Disney Springs first opened in 1975 as the Lake Buena Vista Shopping Village. Over the decades, it has been known as Walt Disney World Village, Disney Village Marketplace, and Downtown Disney before its most recent rebranding in 2015. It currently spans 120 acres and hosts over 150 retail and dining establishments.
However, in recent years, the baked goods market has become increasingly saturated. Competition from other specialty dessert chains has intensified, putting pressure on established brands. While Sprinkles remained a popular name, the broader market dynamics appear to have presented significant challenges.
The closure of Sprinkles follows similar struggles by other brands in the sector. Competitor Crumbl, a cookie chain that saw explosive growth, also announced a series of store closures at the end of 2025, signaling a potential cooling in the specialty dessert market.
What's Next for the Disney Springs Space
With the departure of Sprinkles, a prime retail space in Disney Springs is now vacant. Neither Disney nor representatives for Sprinkles have commented on the specific closure of the Disney World location.
Disney Springs frequently updates its lineup of shops and restaurants to keep the experience fresh for its millions of annual visitors. It is expected that a new tenant for the former Sprinkles storefront will be announced in the coming months, though no official information has been released.
For now, fans of the brand are left with only memories of the Disney-themed cupcakes and the novelty of its pink ATM, a once-sweet fixture that has now permanently closed.
