The owner of Cupcrazed Cakery tried to reassure Fort Mill residents Monday that the Baxter location will remain open amid a flurry of changes for the business.
“This store is just fine and staying open,” Owner Heather McDonnell said Monday morning, as she unpacked boxes from a U-Haul van outside the Baxter location at 936 Market Street. “My whole staff is still here.”
The cupcake shop has closed its Charlotte location on East Woodlawn Road after less then two years at Park Road Shopping Center.
In an interview with the Charlotte Business Journal, McDonnell said that the Charlotte store took longer than anticipated to find its footing. She blamed the bakery’s location and staffing challenges for its failure.
In a Facebook post Sunday, she said “Today is a very sad day for us, as the Charlotte location is closed effective immediately. We would like to thank our Charlotte customers for their kindness and support over the last 21 months. Fort Mill is still open, thriving, and you’ll see the whole squad back at the Baxter Village mothership.”
Earlier this year, McDonnell announced that she was putting both locations up for sale, according to the Charlotte Business Journal. She cited a pending move to Charleston, S.C., as well as the “day-to-day grind of operating a business.”
The Journal claims that McDonnell is offering the business for $200,000, which includes the Cupcrazed brand, her recipes and equipment. The new owner would need to assume the leases for those sites, the news source said.
However, McDonnell would not confirm these details to FortMillSun.com.
“There’s a lot going on with these stores,” she said.
On Facebook, the business posted this: “I have 4 kids, running 2 stores and trying to move is becoming complicated. Once it starts to effect one’s health, you decide what is most important. My amazing and loyal people still have jobs, and that’s what matters the most.”
Many residents are familiar with the store since it was featured on “Cupcake Wars” and “Rewrapped.” The store first opened in 2010 and sells several cupcake flavors in addition to cake pops, brownies and cookies.
“We are great here,” she said Monday, while referring other questions to Public Relations firm Rachel Sutherland Communications, who was not immediately available.
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