Homegrown Bakery Raresweets Is Closing April 23

Local bakeshop Raresweets is closing Monday, April 23 after nearly four years of supplying City Center diners with chocolate chip cookies, fancy ice creams, and hummingbird cakes.

Washingtonian reports that founder Meredith Tomason, a Union Kitchen alum who previously worked at Craft in New York City, is shutting down her debut shop due to financial constraints. “It’s not making sense for our business model,” she told Washingtonian.

“This has been a difficult decision, and not one without a lot of thought, but it is the right decision for the company and for me at this time,” Tomason said in an official statement. “It has been a joy to be part of the CityCenterDC community, and I’ve been particularly proud to be the owner of one of the few small and local businesses on Palmer Alley.”

The shop, which originally debuted in late 2014, offers breakfast items, coffee drinks, frozen desserts, and gourmet sweets. It’s sandwiched between two burgeoning chains — cult bakery Milk Bar, and homegrown gelateria and coffee shop Dolcezza — who do the same. Tomason plans to hold a farewell “cake walk” featuring “small bites of cookies, bars, and cakes” from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on April 23, and plans to serve some of her favorite creations before signing off for good. “We will do some cake giveaways as well,” Tomason tells Eater.

As for her future plans, Tomason did not rule out giving business ownership another go.

“While we do not plan to re-open RareSweets in the near future, we would not say no to the possibility,” she says.

• Local Bakery RareSweets Is Closing at CityCenterDC [Washingtonian]
• Rare Sweets Is Open [EDC]
• Behind the Scenes at Raresweets [EDC]