A sign on the door at Short North Piece of Cake, 772 N. High St., simply reads ‘Closed.’
The long-running bakery’s website and Instagram pages have been deactivated, but its Facebook page remains live (at the time of publishing).
When contacted via email for a comment on the reason for the closure, an automatic reply was received stating, “Due to the need for the bakery to discontinue operations, we are no longer accepting orders. This email is not frequently monitored. Should you have a current order/project, any deposits/payments will be refunded as soon as possible. Apologies for any inconvenience.”
2023 marked the bakery’s 25th year in business. Although previously much-loved, recent reviews still visible on Facebook indicate a negative shift in sentiment at the beginning of the year. Several comments mentioned unsanitary conditions and unsafe food practices.
According to Columbus Public Health Inspection Results, the bakery last passed its standard inspection with no critical violations cited on March 9, 2022. Food-based businesses undergo inspections one to four times per year, based on a risk level that is assigned to the operation, meaning the bakery was likely due for another inspection this month.
Ownership of the bakery had changed in recent years. Laura Harter, who first joined Piece of Cake in 2008 and took ownership of the bakery in 2013, sold the business to Bryce Minamyer in 2021, according to an article from Columbus Monthly.