NoRA Cupcake Company’s ‘Pop-Up’ in West Hartford’s Blue Back Square will close at the end of December.

By Ronni Newton

When Carrie Carella decided to open a NoRA Cupcake Company location in West Hartford’s Blue Back Square in the fall of 2015, she just planned to do a holiday pop-up.

That pop-up, which opened Nov. 18, 2015,  turned into a one-year lease, and then that lease was renewed, but Carella confirmed Monday that the 103 Memorial store will close on Dec. 30, 2017.

“It’s bittersweet, but I feel like we need to get back to our roots and get creative again,” Carella said. Running three storefronts – a location at the Shoppes at Farmington Valley in Canton opened a year ago – is a lot to manage, she said.

Having the pop-up location in West Hartford has been great for the brand, and Carella said the store was definitely a success.

“We don’t take leaving lightly, and we considered wholeheartedly whether to move [within Blue Back Square] or not,” said Carella. “We have loved being part of the community and will still be there with our truck and at as many events as possible,” she said.

“NoRA Cupcake was a temporary, specialty tenant here at Blue Back Square for over two years,” Blue Back Square Marketing Director Elizabeth Zigmont said Monday. “As a temporary tenant, they have a shorter term lease and we are able to move them around should the store space be leased to a longer-term, permanent tenant.” Zigmont did not provide any details about any tenant that might be interested in the NoRA space.

Carella said that NoRA is planning to open a drive-through for cupcakes at a former bank drive-through at 777 Main St. in Hartford – which will be a good option for locals to get their cupcake fix in addition to the Middletown and Canton locations.

She said there may be some other news forthcoming about the company’s evolution. “We’ve been working internally on some new products,” she said. “Still in the cake world,” she added.

NoRA will be hosting a farewell party on its last day in Blue Back Square, on Dec. 30, from 4-7 p.m. Included as part of the celebration, according to NoRA’s Facebook page, will be “bubbles, beats, special discounts, and a raffle for a private party with our cupcake truck!”

“Thank you Blue Back Square for this amazing opportunity, all your love and support, and for all the fun you have allowed us to bring to your neighborhood. We will MISS you!!” Carella posted on Facebook.

“We loved having NoRA, Carrie, and the entire team here at Blue Back Square and they will be missed. We definitely wish them well and hope to see them back one day soon,” said Zigmont.

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