Popular LA bakery Milk Jar Cookies permanently closes both locations

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A beloved bakery permanently closed its two locations in Los Angeles on Monday after more than 10 years in business.

Crowds gathered at Milk Jar Cookies' locations in Encino and Miracle Mile to say goodbye.

Owner Courtney Cowan says her goal when she opened up on Wilshire Boulevard on April 2013 was to spread joy one cookie at a time.

There were long lines Monday as customers waited to get their hands on Cowan's cookies.

"We sold out in two hours our very first day," Cowan said. "That was my first all-nighter that I pulled, and there have been many in the years since."

The lights have been turned off for good now. Aside from skyrocketing rent, labor costs and energy bills, Cowan says expanding to Encino is when her cooking business started to crumble.

"We ran into a lot of red-tape, and the city was not helpful with that. It should've been a 6-month buildout," Cowan said. "I budgeted for nine and it took 15... Small businesses can't afford that, and we opened right when the strikes started."

Cowan announced the closure two weeks ago.

"Not only has it allowed us to go out in a way that we're proud of, but it has been really incredible to have people reflect their experiences with us," Cowan said holding back tears.