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Is Sprinkles Owned by Private Equity?

Yes — Sprinkles is owned by KarpReilly, which acquired it in 2012.

PRIVATE EQUITY OWNED

Sprinkles

Includes Sprinkles Cupcakes

bakery · Beverly Hills, CA

PE Firm
KarpReilly
Year Acquired
2012

PE took a cupcake chain that had Oprah in line and somehow turned it into a password-protected website and a bunch of unplugged vending machines.

What They Did

  1. KarpReilly bought Sprinkles from founder Candace Nelson in 2012. She has had no ownership or control of the company since.
  2. Every company-owned store and cupcake ATM shut down for good on December 31, 2025. The company's only explanation was a line about 'transitioning away' from company-owned bakeries.
  3. In 2023, Sprinkles launched a franchising program with plans for more than 100 locations. Two years later, KarpReilly shut every company-owned store before that growth could play out.
  4. In 2024 the chain booked $44.5 million in sales, up 3% from the year before. Twelve months later the entire company-owned fleet was dark.

Since the Acquisition

  • On New Year's Eve 2025, every company-owned Sprinkles location closed. Customers showed up to locked doors and dark cupcake ATMs with no warning.
  • Employees say they got one day's notice and no severance, according to worker accounts reported by Fox Business and a former employee cited by Chowhound
  • The website went dark behind a password screen that read 'We'll be right back!' Customers were left with unfilled orders and questions, and no one answering them.

Sources

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What people ask

Is Sprinkles owned by private equity?

Yes. Sprinkles is currently owned by KarpReilly, which acquired it in 2012. PE took a cupcake chain that had Oprah in line and somehow turned it into a password-protected website and a bunch of unplugged vending machines.

What happened to Sprinkles after the acquisition?

On New Year's Eve 2025, every company-owned Sprinkles location closed. Customers showed up to locked doors and dark cupcake ATMs with no warning. Employees say they got one day's notice and no severance, according to worker accounts reported by Fox Business and a former employee cited by Chowhound

Who owns Sprinkles?

Sprinkles is owned by KarpReilly, which acquired it in 2012.

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