WASHINGTON — A popular cupcake shop in Northwest D.C. appears to have been shut down by DC Health.
Georgetown Cupcake, located on M Street Northwest, is incredibly popular with District residents, and there is almost always a line out the door. But as of Thursday, it looks like no one will be allowed in.
A D.C. Health Department food establishment violation sign was seen on the door of the shop. The sign said Georgetown Cupcake is closed until further notice. According to the notice, the store presents an "imminent health hazard to the public."
The notice is dated Wednesday, August 10.
In response to an inquiry regarding the shut down, a representative from the cupcake shop said it was due to a licensing issue.
"Our business license (which was posted on-site) had expired and caused the shut down. We have filed the paperwork to renew and hope to be open again as soon as possible. There were no other health code violations. We apologize for any inconvenience to our customers," a spokesperson said via email.
The spokesperson said the license had been expired since November 2021, calling the failure to renew the license a "administrative oversight."
According to D.C. Health, multiple health and safety violations from a routine inspection on July 13 were corrected in the August follow-up, including mice droppings at the coffee station and mold buildup in a creamer container, but the license was still not renewed.
“In order to reopen, Georgetown Cupcake will need to obtain a business license through the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs and pass a restoration health inspection,” a D.C. Health spokesperson said.
In the inspection report itself, DC Health says the business will need to pay between $100-$400 to restore its license.
A copy of Georgetown Cupcake's most recent inspection report is below.
Georgetown Cupcake first opened in D.C. in 2008. Sisters Katherine Kallinis Berman and Sophie Kallinis LaMontagne co-founded the business, which has since opened more locations in Bethesda, New York City, Boston, Los Angeles, and Atlanta.
This is a developing story. We are working to gather additional details. Stay with WUSA9 for the latest updates as they come in to our newsroom.