Crumbl, the high-end dessert chain serving up oversized cookies, has closed a swath of stores nationwide including seven in California.
Two of the shuttered cookie shops are in Southern California, in Westlake Village and Mira Mesa in San Diego.
The other closed California locations are in Paso Robles, Pismo Beach, Hanford, Ladera Ranch and Cupertino.
Crumbl has reportedly closed 57 locations across the country, including in Florida and Alabama. The chain still has more than 1,000 locations nationwide and more than 100 in California.
The chain was founded by cousins Sawyer Hemsley and Jason McGowan in Utah in 2017 and remains headquartered there. It has exploded in growth since going viral during the pandemic and garnering more than 10 million followers on TikTok.
The cookie shops have a rotating menu of cookies with elaborate toppings, sometimes offering bizarre flavors such as everything bagel. A single cookie from Crumbl costs about $5.
Crumbl has reached customers by embracing third-party delivery and establishing celebrity partnerships with big names, including Kendall Jenner and Olivia Rodrigo.
Though it grew rapidly in the early 2020s, the chain began to face challenges after taking up to $500 million in cash or loans from private equity firms, Bloomberg reported.
In 2022, the company violated child labor laws in six states. Earlier this year, a push to promote “dirty sodas” fell short as the product didn’t earn nationwide popularity.
McGowan and Hemsley stepped down as chief executive and chief brand officer, respectively, in May, but they remain on the company’s board.
The cousins started the company with no formal baking experience, instead using data-driven testing to develop successful recipes.
Foot traffic has slowed since May, with Restaurant Business reporting that sales in August were 70% lower than they were two years ago.
Crumbl did not immediately respond to a request for comment and has made no indication that it will wind down its business anytime soon.
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