A sweet, Erie staple for nearly twelve years will be closing its doors on December 30.
Over the weekend, the owner of Icing on the Lake made the announcement on Facebook.
Becky Lynch, the manager of Icing on the Lake said, "It will never be the same, so I'm really really sad. I think, I speak for a lot of us that we haven't had time to wrap our brains around the emotions of it."
Staff prepared dozens of baked goods on Tuesday, something they will only get to do together for the next two months until they close.
A decision that wasn't easy for owner Heidi Fette. She said all came down to her health. She recently underwent her second hip replacement and a neck fusion and the hours, baking and being on her feet started to take a toll on her body. "It's just been so physically difficult, some days it was just hard to get out of bed. I would go home and maybe cry, I'm in so much pain, but hold it together here. So that's what really pushed me to make this decision, for the first time in a long time just thinking of myself", explained Fette.
While they doors will be closing on December 30, the Sweet Vault, their after hours treat machine will still be open for people to enjoy.
Just focusing on baking for the Sweet Vault is something Fette is looking forward to, "I am going to be able to bake, which is what I started when I did this eleven years ago and haven't been able to do much of any more."
While Fette and the rest of the staff said it's a bittersweet time, they are looking forward to making the most of their time together and trying new recipes and treats. "We are going to get as much out of it for the next two months and just enjoy each other and anyone who has any ideas they want to do I hope we can make it happen for them and everyone dives in and gets a chance to do what they are happy about", said Lynch.
Long-time staff members said closing up the shop will be hard, but they are grateful for all the support from the Erie community over the past eleven and a half years.
Tracy Huber, who has worked at Icing on the Lake for several years said, "It's going to be hard shutting the doors, but we are going to still be here in a way doing the Sweet Vault and what I'm going to miss the most is the daily interaction with the staff and public."
Fette didn't say what will be going into the building space in the new year, but she did say she will be involved with the project and they will still be able to use the kitchen to make all the sweets for their Sweet Vault.
Their final day open will be December 30, 2022.