Luxe downtown development CityCenterDC will lose one of its few local and independent businesses when RareSweets closes its doors this month. Owner and pastry chef Meredith Tomason says the bakeshop’s last day of business will be April 23.
“We love being here and part of the community, but it’s not making economic sense for our business model,” says Tomason.
Tomason, a former pastry chef at Tom Colicchio’s Craft in New York City, was one of the first food businesses to open at CityCenterDC in 2014. (Previously, she catered out of Union Kitchen.) Her sunny bakery became known for its stellar breakfast breads, design-your-own ice cream sandwiches, and Instagram-worthy cakes, among other treats and confections.
Tomason says she doesn’t yet know what her next move will be. In the bakeshop’s remaining weeks she plans to bring back a variety of customer favorites, “whether they’re seasonal now or Christmas flavors,” in hopes of ending nearly four years on a sweet note.
See a full statement from Tomason, including new hours, below.
“It is with a truly heavy heart that we at RareSweets have decided to close our doors. For the past 3 ½ years, we have built a special bakeshop in a thriving city and are proud of the many memories we have created for our customers. RareSweets holds a very special place in our hearts, and we are so grateful to the community for welcoming and embracing us over the years. 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.
Our last day of business will be on Monday, April 23. Until then, business hours remain:
- Monday through Thursday: 7:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
- Friday: 7:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
- Saturday 9:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
- Sunday 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
We encourage the community to visit us during our final week, come say hello and goodbye, and enjoy some cookies, bars or cakes before we close our doors. We will miss our RareSweets friends and neighbors and thank our fans for the patronage and support over the years. As a thank you to our customers, we’ll host a farewell “Cake Walk” event on April 23 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Check our Facebook page for details as they come together.”
Anna Spiegel covers the dining and drinking scene in her native DC. Prior to joining Washingtonian in 2010, she attended the French Culinary Institute and Columbia University’s MFA program in New York, and held various cooking and writing positions in NYC and in St. John, US Virgin Islands.
