Topline
The wildly popular Washington, D.C., bakery Georgetown Cupcake closed Thursday for posing an “imminent health hazard to the public,” according to a notice from the city’s health department, though the store says it was due to an administrative error and not due to any other health code violations.
People wait outside of Georgetown Cupcake in Washington, D.C.
Key Facts
The storefront has a shutdown notice from the Washington, D.C., health department dated August 10, according to Abby Llorico, a reporter at local CBS affiliate WUSA9.
A Georgetown Cupcake spokesperson confirmed the closure in a statement to Forbes, explaining it was due to an expired business license and the bakery hopes to reopen “as soon as possible.”
The shutdown will not affect Georgetown Cupcake’s popular nationwide shipping business, as the company noted to Forbes all shipping orders are fulfilled at its shipping headquarters near Dulles International Airport in Virginia.
The Washington, D.C. health department did not immediately respond to Forbes’ request for comment.
Big Number
567,000. That’s how many Instagram followers Georgetown cupcake has, as well as another 540,000 on Facebook and 92,000 on Twitter. The Washington, D.C., location is Georgetown Cupcake’s first, though it now has stores in Atlanta, Boston, Los Angeles, New York City and Bethesda, Maryland. The shop was featured on the TLC show DC Cupcakes from 2010 to 2013.
Tangent
Georgetown Cupcake made national headlines in 2020 when then White House Advisor Kellyanne Conway complained why people could wait in line at Georgetown Cupcake but not vote in person – despite the store only offering delivery at the time.
Further Reading
Popular DC cupcake shop shut down by DC Health (WUSA9)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/dereksaul/2022/08/11/famous-georgetown-cupcake-temporarily-shut-by-dc-health-department/