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Crumbl Cookies
American cookie store chain From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Crumbl (previously branded as Crumbl Cookies), stylized as crumbl, is a franchise chain of bakeries in the United States and Canada that specializes in cookies and other desserts.[2] Based in Utah, it was founded in 2017.[3] As of August 2024[update], the company has 1071 stores across the United States.[1] The chain maintains a strong presence in social media, to which The New York Times has attributed the business' growth.[4][5][6][7]
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History and operations
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Crumbl was founded by cousins Sawyer Hemsley and Jason McGowan in 2017 while Hemsley attended Utah State University in Logan, Utah.[8][9][10][11] Hemsley and McGowan utilized A/B testing methods to come up with their final milk chocolate chip cookie recipe.[3][9][10]
In 2022, Crumbl sued Crave Cookies and Dirty Dough, two fellow cookie companies, in the United States District Court for the District of Utah, alleging that the defendants had "unique ties" to Crumbl and had a "confusingly similar ... marketing and business model".[12][13]
In November 2023, Crumbl rebranded with a new logo, color scheme, and visual identity.[14]
On December 21, 2023, Crumbl acquired Pleasant Grove, Utah-based pie company Crust Club, founded in 2016 by partners Tyler and Valerie Kukahiko.[15][16] Crumbl spokesperson Beth Baty said that the concept resonated with co-founders Jason McGowan and Sawyer Hemsley. Crust Club was then sold back to Hemsley's Ventures.
On September 29, 2024, an unofficial Crumbl pop-up store was hosted in Sydney, Australia. Approximately 840 cookies were purchased in Hawaii on Tuesday, brought back to Australia, and refrigerated until the following Sunday,[17][18] where they were sold for AUD$17.50 (US$12).[18][19] Crumbl chose not to pursue legal action, instead announcing that they would speed up plans to open stores in Australia.[19][20]
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Growth
The company has experienced rapid franchising,[5] which has been attributed to its presence on social media.[3][21][22] The company's following on TikTok reached 1.6 million within six weeks in February 2021,[3][22] and as of 2024, they have over 14 million combined followers between TikTok and Instagram.[23]
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Crumbl expanded to 100 locations by August 2020 and 149 locations across the United States by July 2021.[24][5] By the end of 2021, the company had grown to over 300 stores in the country,[25] and by July 2022, grew to over 400 locations in 45 states.[2] In 2023, the franchise expanded to Canada with 4 locations: two in Alberta[26][27] and one each in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan[28] and Mississauga, Ontario.[29] By July 2025 the company had over 1,000 locations across the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico.[30]
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Legal issues
Labor law violations
In December 2022, the U. S. Department of Labor fined 11 Crumbl franchises across six U.S. states[a] for violations of child labor laws impacting 46 workers who were minors.[31][32] Violations included assigning underage employees to shifts that exceeded the permitted hours and to tasks involving "potentially dangerous ovens and machinery".[32] The parent company issued a statement apologizing and affirming their commitment to "a safe and welcoming work environment". Crumbl reported to Axios that they were "deeply disappointed" when finding out about the violations.[33] The Crumbl franchisees were fined $57,854 in total for the violations.[34]
Copyright infringement
In 2025, Warner Music Group sued Crumbl for $24 million, alleging copyright infringement for use of their music catalog in Crumbl's social media posts.[35]
Reception
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The company relies heavily on social media to promote its products; according to The New York Times, whether the products themselves are "the best or the worst" is immaterial to their popularity, as the online "debate is good for business".[7] Vox described it as a "manifestation of hyper-consumption fueled by a conveyor belt of micro-trends that come and go at an ever-increasing pace".[19]
Mashed.com noted in August 2021 that Crumbl had garnered unfavorable reviews from TikTok users for the quality of cookies customers were receiving through delivery. The article cited four videos of poor-quality cookies that did not arrive as advertised, with one such negative review receiving over 400,000 likes within 21 hours.[36]
Honolulu's Emily Smith tried six Crumbl cookies, writing in a 2022 review, "The price is reasonable considering that these are very large cookies packed with flavor. All the cookies looked delicious and visually pleasing. If you love sugar, I recommend trying Crumbl at least once."[37] Vox's Whizy Kim said the cookies were "fine", but "nothing memorable".[19]
Animal welfare
In 2024, Crumbl faced protests by animal welfare organizations including The Humane League that called on Crumbl to end the use of battery cage eggs across all locations. Crumbl stated that it had no intention to publish a cage-free policy at the time.[38][39] As a result, protests continued into 2025.[40]
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Notes
- The six states were California, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Tennessee, Utah, and Washington.
References
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