Crumbl Cookies

Crumbl Cookies is an American-based, tech-driven franchise-model cookie company that was founded in 2017 by cousins Jason McGowan and Sawyer Hemsley. In 2022, the brand has over 500 retail stores in over 47 states in the United States. Crumbl offers a menu of 175+ cookie flavors ranging from Churro to Cookies & Cream Milkshake to Key Lime Pie. They offer 4 weekly rotating flavors in addition to their staple Chilled Sugar and award-winning Milk Chocolate Chip cookies. All cookies are packaged in Crumbl’s famous pink box. Crumbl’s mission was “Bringing friends and family together over a box of the best cookies in the world” and is headquartered in Lindon, Utah. By July 2024, the mission had changed to “bringing friends and family together over the best desserts in the world.”

History

Crumbl Cookies' first store was opened in Logan, Utah, United States when Sawyer Hemsley was in his senior year at Utah State University. Crumbl Cookies is now headquartered in Lindon, Utah. Hemsley and McGowan were on a mission to make the best chocolate chip cookie in the world. After thousands of dollars spent on cookie ingredients and dozens of failed recipes, the cousins decided to use an A/B testing approach to reach this goal. This involved replacing or removing a single ingredient from their cookie recipe and asking random individuals at gas stations and grocery stores to try both options and vote on the better cookie. After finishing the experiment, they developed todays’ secret recipe for their Milk Chocolate Chip cookie. The Milk Chocolate Chip cookie and Chilled Sugar cookie are now staples on their menu with the Milk Chocolate chip consistently being their best-seller.

After opening their debut store in Logan, Utah in 2017, Crumbl continued to expand throughout the state with 9 stores. In 2018, they expanded out of state for the first time with their 10th store in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Today, Crumbl is the fastest-growing and second-largest gourmet cookie company in the United States of America with 160 stores operating in 30 states.

Concept

Crumbl offers a weekly rotating menu of 200+ cookie flavors in addition to milk, chocolate milk, and ice cream. The cookie flavors are inspired by various types of desserts from cereal to pies to cakes and candies. Crumbl’s tech-driven approach to cookies offers its customers a new experience in cookie-eating. This includes iPads displaying recipes to bakers and self-serve kiosks for the customers. Crumbl also offers curbside pickup, a digital loyalty program, digital gift cards with personalized video messaging, and digital menus in addition to nationwide shipping and warm local delivery. Crumbl stores utilize a takeout and delivery model similar to popular pizza chains. Each order is served in distinctive to-do pink boxes. Nationwide shipping is also available through the company’s website.

All Crumbl stores are franchise owned and operated excluding Crumbl’s Orem location. This location is the Corporate Testing Facility, used to test new concepts such as cookie flavors, box sizes, presentation, technology, tools, and other business elements. All Crumbl stores have an open kitchen concept built to allow customers to view the cookies being mixed, balled, and baked fresh daily.

Crumbl also has a catering program, which offers mini versions of Crumbl’s classic 6oz. cookies for events such as weddings, business retreats, parties, etc.

Branding

Crumbl’s branding is minimalistic, utilizing a palette of three colors: black, white, and pink. The logo features a male baker with a chef’s hat and a partially eaten cookie.

Crumbl cookies are offered in a variety of boxes as part of their pink box collection. They offer a single cookie box, a 12-cookie party box and their signature 4-pack box. Their signature 4-pack box is an oblong shape, big enough to fit four Crumbl cookies side-by-side. This recognizable rectangular 4-pack concept was developed by Utah State University students in 2018 as part of a case study competition through the Huntsman School of Business. The concept was developed and publicly released a few months later on May 16, 2018 and is now one of the brand’s signature offerings.

Crumbl often adds or changes ink designs on their boxes for holidays and anniversaries, such as their store birthday every year.

Awards

In 2019, Crumbl’s Milk Chocolate Chip Cookie was awarded Best of State in Utah for Best Cookie. In 2020, Crumbl was awarded Best of State in Utah for Best Gourmet Cookies and Best Bakery. Additionally, Crumbl has won hundreds of official and nonofficial awards and taste-offs throughout the country.