A beloved baked-goods brand that went viral during the pandemic is closing stores across the country.
Crumbl, formerly known as Crumbl Cookies until a 2024 rebrand, has closed at least 60 stores in 2026, Charlotte’s WSOC-TV reported this weekend.
Crumbl grew rapidly after its 2017 founding - it has more than 1,000 stores around the world - but has also undergone significant changes this year. In May company co-founders, Jason McGowan and Sawyer Hemsley, announced they were leaving the company.
“The next chapter gives the company an opportunity to focus on scale, sharpen the experience for customers and franchise partners, and continue pushing the product innovation that has always set Crumbl apart,” a statement from the co-founders said.
That growth and innovation the founders mentioned appears to be struggling. Crumbl’s sales in August were down 70 percent compared to two years earlier, according to an internal document obtained by Restaurant Business Journal.
Crumbl has faced several controversies in the past few years. Hemsley and McGowan faced intense criticism in 2024 from animal-rights group, The Humane League, for using eggs sourced from chickens housed in cramped quarters.
Known as “battery cages,” the tactic has been “widely condemned by consumers and illegal in numerous US states,” the league said.
In 2023, the company settled a lawsuit from Warner Music Group over its use of copyrighted sound bites in TikTok and Instagram videos and a class action against its allegedly deceptive nutrition labeling.
Crumbl also suffered a setback with its “dirty soda” product launch in August. The drink, which combines soda with additional ingredients such as strawberry puree and coconut cream, flopped despite promises from Hemsley that it would boost company-wide sales figures, Restaurant Business Journal reported.
The missteps and slowing sales have contributed to the company’s 2026 store closures, which include locations in Austin, Texas; Columbus, Ohio; Jersey City, New Jersey; and Corvallis, Oregon, according to fan site Crumbl Cookie Flavors.
Read MoreBreaking Bad actor’s barbecue restaurant files for bankruptcy
America’s most popular buffet Golden Corral is closing multiple locations — see where
Salad chain Sweetgreen doesn’t want to be known for just salads anymore
