The vegan dessert bakery Cinnaholic has closed after nearly four years at 121 E. Liberty. Franchisees Doug Moeller and Deborah Bonar had moved from California after losing their home in a 2018 wildfire, according to a Michigan Daily report on their 2022 opening day, which drew a crowd that stretched a block long. As to the reasons for the closure and their future plans, Moeller emails, “We’re not doing any press right now.” The company’s sole remaining Michigan store is in Brighton.
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“Many people don’t understand how much undisclosed stress small business owners go through,” says Sara Graham. The single mom moved to the area to launch what became Graham’s Upscale Liquidation Store in 2023, but she’s bowed out.
A chatty exit interview illuminated several headwinds she faced, from a disappointing franchise relationship at the outset to failed attempts to secure a partner for the Jackson Rd. store that featured a wide and ever-changing range of discounted merchandise she’d purchase in bulk lots.
Her efforts included merchandising the wares for better presentation, repurposing bowling-alley flooring from Bel-Mark Lanes as the sales counter, hosting food trucks and other vendors, and coordinating with nearby resale businesses. But she now plans to secure a stable job with benefits and study to become a Realtor.
“It was a blessing to be able to do what I did, but it cost me a quality of life,” Graham says. “I’m proud that I did it. I’m grateful for those friendships that I formed that became like family to me, and I’m blessed for learning to remain optimistic.”
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When Godiva Chocolates closed all its U.S. stores in 2021, Briarwood Mall invited Gilbert Chocolates to take its center court spot, the 125-year-old company’s sole location outside of Jackson. Now the mall has invoked a lease clause requiring them to cede the space, the confectioner announced in December: “this was not our choice, and it is not a result of anything we did wrong.” It’s looking into other options to resume its area presence.
The Austrian crystal and jewelry company Swarovski is expected to open there this spring, marking its return to Briarwood after an absence of over seven years.
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Noodles & Company has slimmed down to two Ann Arbor eateries with the December closure of its campus-area restaurant at 320 S. State. The fast-casual pasta shop occupied the former Decker Drugs following a two-story historic renovation in 2004. The Colorado-based chain had 435 locations as of its latest filing, including stores at Arborland and 2245 W. Stadium. It went public in 2013 and the IPO price of $18 quickly doubled; shares now trade at less than a dollar.
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GameStop has logged out of its longtime store in Cranbrook Village on W. Eisenhower. It’s one of hundreds of closures for the video game, accessories, and collectibles chain, which—despite an influx of capital from its 2021 heyday as a meme stock—has struggled with the trend toward digital delivery of gaming content. Its remaining Washtenaw County location is at 2423 Ellsworth Rd. in Ypsilanti Twp.
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Women’s plus-size fashion retailer Torrid closed its Briarwood Mall store January 13 after three years there. The publicly traded company has been reducing its brick-and-mortar footprint and leaning into online sales amid disappointing performance overall. The closest surviving location is in Canton Twp. at Michigan Ave. and Beck Rd.
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