It all started with a dream, a unique idea, and then they began. Crumbl was founded in 2017 when co-founders Jason McGowan and Sawyer Hemsley teamed up on a quest to bake the perfect chocolate chip cookie, and it quickly became the fastest growing cookie company in the U.S.
But how did Crumbl rise to be the empire it is today, and what differentiates it from other companies?
Their first store opened in Logan, Utah and they originally started with one cookie: milk chocolate chip.
From the beginning, the owners wanted to be as transparent as possible, which is why they made an open-concept kitchen that lets people get first hand experience watching the cookies being prepared. This method has been proven to increase customer satisfaction, and lets us have a more personal experience with the brand.
Having mastered the creation of the milk chocolate chip cookie, the next logical step was offering variety.
Every week, Crumbl rotates its menu of six cookies. Along with their famous milk chocolate chip and chilled sugar cookie, the menu includes four different specialty flavors.
This creates a need for customers to try the flavors before they disappear. Lots of users on social media love to watch people rating the cookies, offering their own opinions on the flavors of the week.
The weekly flavors and reviews keep consumers coming back regularly, as they love the sense of excitement to try something new.
Kiki Wolf ‘28 said, “My favorite thing about Crumbl is seeing the new unique flavors they come out with every week. I think what makes them popular is how active they remain on social media. I always love seeing videos of people rating the cookies and it makes me want to go and buy them.”
QSR Magazine interviewed Jason McGowen, Crumbl’s CEO and founder and here’s what he had to say: “We have over 12,000 employees across the nation right now. How do you train 12,000 people how to make new cookies every single week? You have to build technology for automatically updating your recipes. Our whole business really evolves around this. Not just our marketing. Our whole operations, our whole company, our supply chain revolves around this. Really everything revolves around this weekly drop and we love it.”
This approach not only lets Crumbl engage more with its audience, but it also provides a steady stream of content on social media every week of people trying the new cookies, which allows them to stay more relevant.
Leila Morvarid ‘28 says “I like trying the new cookies every week with my friends. It’s something we look forward to doing together when we’re hanging out. I think it’s not all about just eating the cookies, it also is a bonding experience.”
Crumbl not only relies on their marketing, but also on their employees. On-going communication from the main office helps employees perfect the cookies offered to customers each week.
We can all agree that Crumbl successfully fulfills their consumers’ desires and keeps them coming back for more. They have created a viral marketing brand that won’t be going away any time soon.
