Occasionally Cake closes

Occasionally Cake’s former location at 8859 Richmond Highway.

Occasionally Cake on Richmond Highway has closed after 12 years in business.

Located in a small strip of shops near the intersection of Mount Vernon Memorial Highway since 2009, Occasionally Cake shut down in late November, according to the business’s Facebook page, which is no longer active. 

The business was owned by Sabrina Campbell, a Mount Vernon-area resident. In her Facebook message, Campbell thanked community members for supporting Occasionally Cake during its run. She said a decline in business, however, forced her to close.

“Occasionally Cake wants to extend a huge thank you to everyone who has supported us these past 12 years, from the beginning when Sabrina started from her home, to when we had two stores and back to when we kept our Mount Vernon store,” Campbell said. “Thanks for all the cake orders and for supporting local business. It has come time for us to close. Having a decline in our business, it was impossible to continue to stay open.”

In addition to baking, Campbell also taught decorating classes at Occasionally Cake. In late 2015, her talents earned her an appearance on an episode of the Food Network’s “Cake Wars.” Campbell and her partner earned first place.

That triumph had helped Campbell get through a previous slowdown in business, she told CoveringTheCorridor.com in March 2016. In that interview, Campbell credited the community for helping keep Occasionally Cake open, and urged more residents to support local small businesses.

“[Small businesses] need you so much more than the national brands do,” Campbell said. “They’re the ones who are giving to schools. The ones who are donating to your Little League teams.”