Popular Cookie Chain Crumbl Closes At Least 60 Stores Amid Declining Sales
Crumbl closes at least 60 stores in 2026 as sales plummet 70 percent. Discover the latest updates on the popular cookie chain's struggles.
POLICY WIRE — New York, United States — A popular baked-goods brand that achieved viral fame during the pandemic is shutting down locations nationwide. Crumbl, which dropped Cookies from its name during a 2024 rebrand, has shuttered a minimum of 60 stores throughout 2026, according to reporting from Charlotte station WSOC-TV.
Following its 2017 establishment, the company expanded rapidly to boast over 1,000 storefronts globally. However, the organization has experienced major shifts this year, including the departure of co-founders Jason McGowan and Sawyer Hemsley in May.
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, the co-founders stated in an official announcement.
Despite those goals for growth and innovation, internal documents acquired by Restaurant Business Journal indicate that sales dropped 70 percent in August compared to the same month two years prior.
The enterprise has dealt with multiple controversies over recent years. In 2024, Hemsley and McGowan drew sharp backlash from the animal-rights organization The Humane League regarding their use of eggs from hens kept in confined spaces.
The league noted that these battery cages are widely condemned by consumers and illegal in numerous US states.
Additional legal challenges arose in 2023 when the firm resolved a lawsuit filed by Warner Music Group over copyrighted audio clips utilized in TikTok and Instagram content, alongside a class action focusing on allegedly misleading nutrition details.
The brand also encountered difficulties with its dirty soda rollout in August. The beverage mixes soda with components like coconut cream and strawberry puree, but underperformed despite Hemsley forecasting that it would elevate system-wide sales numbers, as detailed by Restaurant Business Journal.
These operational missteps and declining revenue have fueled the 2026 closures, impacting spots in Corvallis, Oregon; Austin, Texas; Columbus, Ohio; and Jersey City, New Jersey, based on information from the enthusiast website Crumbl Cookie Flavors.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
