The Magnolia Bakery, a Manhattan cake shop that gained global fame after appearing in Sex and the City, has been forced to close one of its locations after health inspectors found a dozen live cockroaches on the premises. The closure highlights how even celebrated, high-profile food businesses remain subject to routine hygiene enforcement, and raises questions about quality control at the chain as it has expanded beyond its original New York roots.

The affected branch is in Chicago, where inspectors reportedly discovered the insects near areas used for preparing and displaying the bakery's signature iced cakes and cupcakes, prompting an immediate shutdown pending remedial action. Magnolia Bakery, founded in New York's West Village in 1996, became an international tourist draw after featuring in the hit HBO series, and has since opened outlets in several US cities as well as abroad.