Well, this is a sad way to enter the weekend…
Unfortunately, it’s the end of an era for one of Vancouver’s longtime donut brands.
After 14 years of delivering smiles, sugar rushes, and those iconic red boxes, Cartems Donuts has announced that it will be closing its doors for good on February 14th—yes, Valentine’s Day.
Cartems made the announcement on their Instagram on January 24th, thanking the community for the support that turned a small donut dream into a city-wide favourite.
“Your unwavering support has been the heart of Cartems,” the post reads, adding that their last day will be a chance for fans to grab their favourite donuts, a coffee, or even just stop by for one final chat.
Pre-orders are already open for those hoping to stock up before the bittersweet goodbye.
For those who don’t know, Cartems was born in 2012 out of a vivid dream by their Co-founder Jordan Cash, when he was living in South Korea.
They were one of the first in the city to push the boundaries of what a donut could be, serving up monthly specials that ranged from fun seasonal creations to wacky experiments (yes, we’re still thinking about that Thanksgiving donut with turkey and gravy).
Their menu also embraced vegan and gluten-friendly options, making sure everyone could join the donut party.
Cartems’ original location in Downtown Vancouver closed last year due to building redevelopment, marking the first major shift for the brand.
And last year they also expanded into Coquitlam with a new location near IKEA.
Somewhere in the timeline, Cartems quietly sold to the owners of Matchstick Coffee.
In the announcement, the reason for the closure was not mentioned.
But for donut lovers, this news hits hard.
For us, we still remember the times we’ve hopped by their Downtown location to grab a full box of their donuts for the monthly office parties.
If Cartems has ever sweetened your day, consider this your call to visit before February 14th.
We’ll be stopping by to grab our last Earl Grey donut 🥲
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