Tariffs force closure of a beloved Cedartown bakery

Sugarless sweets forced to close due to tariffs

A local Georgia bakery that’s served up low carb, gluten-free and sugar-free treats says it has been forced to close its doors. Sugarless Sweets in downtown Cedartown says they made the decision as rising food costs has made serving its customers unsustainable. They say it comes down to tariffs on an item that only comes from Asia.

CEDARTOWN, Ga. - A local Georgia bakery that serves low-carb, gluten-free and sugar-free treats says it has been forced to close its doors.  

Sugarless Sweets in downtown Cedartown says the decision was made as rising food costs have made serving its customers unsustainable, and they say it comes down to tariffs on an item that only comes from Asia.

What we know:

It is the end of an era for a Cedartown small business that has been anything but ordinary.

"We are the only combined gluten and sugar-free bakery in America," said Bo Couzzart, the owner of Sugarless Sweets.

Since 2020, Couzzart has served up fresh and great-tasting sweets just without real sugar from storefronts in Cedartown.  

Last year, Sugarless Sweets won the Best of Georgia Award from the Georgia Business Journal, but since then things took a turn and the problem all centers around the sweetener she uses: Monk Fruit.

"Monk fruit prices went up by 30% in February because of the tariffs. That's what they're blaming it on. "Then, in March, they went up to 45% what they were in January," Couzzart said. "Now they're triple the price."

Monk fruit is only native to certain parts of Asia and tariffs mean higher prices for importing it. Couzzart says monk fruit is the sweetener she uses because it is best for her clients, and she will not switch.

Couzzart says her family-run bakery has weathered other storms over the years, like the egg shortage, but this latest blow turned out to be too much. She says it has never been about a profit even if that meant sacrificing her own paycheck. She says she just did not feel right raising prices to cover the cost of the sweetener.

The bakery closed earlier this month, and they are now liquidating everything.

What they're saying:

"We can't take in the amount of orders that people want to give us, we have people traveling from states away to come visit us," Couzzart said.

Couzzart said while business was good, she was losing money because of the price of Monk fruit.

"When it's costing us to keep the business open and it's not paying for itself, we run through savings pretty quick," she said.

There was a thought about raising prices, but they would skyrocket, and she said it would not be worth it.

"Customers have said, "I'll pay whatever," Couzzart said. "They think that until I have to charge them $25 for a cupcake."

What's next:

Sugarless Sweets will turn into a cottage bakery, which means they will scale back considerably.

What you can do:

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