COLUMBIA, S.C. — The owner of local bakery Chocolate Nirvana announced on social media Friday that the shop has closed.
The go-to place for decadent cakes -- such as the Godiva chocolate ganache cake and red velvet cake -- posted on the company's Facebook page: "Unfortunately, after three decades of business...we have made the decision to close our doors. We can't thank all of our loyal customers enough for all their years of support. Thank you!"
John Rogers, owner of Chocolate Nirvana, moved the bakery to 2501 North Main after the location on Fort Jackson Boulevard was destroyed in the October 2015 floods. After operating in a portion of the DER Kitchen shared commercial kitchen space, the bakery took over a more permanent spot in the front half of the building in 2017.
Asked about the decision to close, Rogers says that it was purely financial. "In the past year, no one was buying cakes."
Chocolate Nirvana opened as Classic Cakes in a converted home at the corner of Pickens and Richland streets in downtown Columbia. Rogers began working there in 2010 and bought the business from Phil Waddell in 2016.
The bakery officially closed on Dec. 31, and while Rogers is unsure of what he will be doing next, he will definitely not be selling or giving out the recipe for the Godiva cake.
