another "small" business put out of business because of government intervention

Oregon Bakery That Wouldn’t Bake a Cake for Gay Couple Closes    Eater     Mattie John Bamman4 hrs ago

© Facebook/Sweet Cakes by Melissa Sweet Cakes by Melissa owners Aaron and Melissa Klein 

 

Sweet Cakes by Melissa officially shutters

Sweet Cakes by Melissa has finally officially succumbed to the backlash received since refusing to bake a wedding cake for a same-sex couple. It closed its storefront back in 2013, but owners Aaron and Melissa Klein had been trying to reopen. Their farewell message on Facebook reads, "We have closed Sweet Cakes. We appreciate everyone's continued prayer and support." The Facebook post has been currently shared 148 times, received over 600 comments, and been liked by more than 1,300 people.

The Kleins are currently appealing a ruling ordered by the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries that had ordered the couple to pay $135,000 in damages to the same-sex couple. The Kleins paid the amount in-full, plus interest, in December 2015, and at the time, the Kleins' lawyer Tyler Smith explained the reasoning behind the payment, saying The Kleins paid because they were being charged nine-percent interest on the court-ordered amount, which equated to around $35 a day. Since their appeal wouldn’t be heard until 2016, Smith said it made sense to pay the amount immediately.

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