Say what you will about Crumbl Cookies. It’s always sure to get a reaction.
Earlier this month, when a sudden swirl of social media rumors began to suggest that the polarizing bakery chain was closing down, some of the online reactions were downright gleeful. “Too sweet and too expensive!” went one typical comment.
The chatter was so loud that Crumbl cofounder Sawyer Hemsley took to TikTok to dispel the rumor, explaining that the fast-growing chain is just moving offices as it prepares for its next wave of expansion.
But while reports of Crumbl’s demise may be premature, the chain has in fact closed a number of locations over the last few years following a period of accelerated growth. Here’s what to know:
Is Crumbl Cookies still growing?
According to Rhonda Bromley, Crumbl’s VP of public relations, Crumbl now has 1,103 locations in the United States and 25 in Canada, up from just 326 at the end of 2021. And the Utah-based chain will indeed continue to expand its footprint next year.
“We have no plans for growth to stop and will be opening many more stores in both the United States and Canada in 2026,” Bromley tells Fast Company.
Which Crumbl Cookies locations have closed?
At the end of 2021, Crumbl hadn’t closed any of its locations, which speaks to the rapid, social media-fueled growth that it had famously experienced in its early years.
But over the last few years, at least 19 locations have closed, according to a Fast Company review of media reports, online review platforms like Yelp, and Crumbl’s own store locator.
The shuttered stores, which were located across 10 states, are listed below. A Crumbl spokesperson confirmed the closures.
California
- 481 Madonna Rd Ste D San Luis Obispo, CA 93405
- 550 Woollomes Ave Ste 105 Delano, CA 93215
- 2750 41st Ave Ste E Soquel, CA 95073
- 12274 Palmdale Rd Ste 102 Victorville, CA 92392
- 8126 E Santa Ana Canyon Rd Ste 167 Anaheim, CA 92808
- 32545 Golden Lantern Ste C Dana Point, CA 92629
Connecticut
- 360 Connecticut Ave Unit 4 Norwalk, CT 06854
Colorado
- 1805 29th St Ste 1136 Boulder, CO 80301
- 3480 Wolverine Dr Ste G Montrose, CO 81401
Florida
- 1695 W Indiantown Rd Ste 22-23 Jupiter, FL 33458
Georgia
- 2615 Peachtree Pkwy Ste 210 Suwanee, GA 30024
Illinois
- 1441 N Wells St Chicago, IL 60610
- 1530 E Lake Cook Rd Wheeling, IL 60090
Ohio
- 3038 Westgate Mall #20 Fairview Park, OH 44126
- 34330 Aurora Rd Solon, OH 44139
Pennsylvania
- 3741 West Chester Pike Ste 103 Newtown Square, PA 19073
- 604 228th Ave NE Sammamish, WA 98074
Tennessee
- 8068 Hwy 100 Nashville, TN 37221
Utah
- 4211 Pony Express Parkway Suite 130, Eagle Mountain, UT 84005
It’s not unusual for restaurant chains to close locations even as they grow their overall footprint, as some stores will inevitably underperform or could succumb to other unfavorable location-specific factors.
A Crumbl spokesperson did not directly respond to the question of why these stores have closed.
Why did people think Crumbl was closing for good?
Some of the online rumors appear to have been spread by AI-powered social media accounts that post misinformation for engagement, as Reddit users pointed out in the Crumbl subreddit.
At the same time, a Bloomberg Businessweek story this month took a decidedly unflattering view of the brand and raised questions about its ability to sustain hypergrowth. The story may have added fuel to the rumors that Crumbl’s days are numbered.
Crumbl, which was founded in 2017, is known for its substantial social media presence. It has almost 11 million followers on TikTok alone, so it makes sense that rumors about the company would spread quickly across the internet.
Also, as stated earlier, controversy around Crumbl is not exactly new. It was more than a year ago that food blog Delish.com posed the question: “Has the Crumbl backlash begun?” We’ll let you decide the answer for yourself.