Hey, today we’re going to head straight into the financials of the pioneer and the biggest winner of the cookie wars. Crumbl Cookies.

Crumbl Cookies was founded in 2017 in Utah and quickly became one of the fastest-growing dessert franchises in the U.S., known for its rotating weekly cookie menu and viral social media presence. With over 1,000 locations, the brand has generated massive systemwide sales and strong consumer buzz. But rapid growth doesn’t always mean consistent profits at the owner level — so let’s see how Crumbl cookie owners are doing nowadays.

So, your average Crumbl franchisee will do $1.2M in revenue. There are some locations that do just $500k and others that touch $3M.

Now like any brick and mortar location, there are a lot of operating costs. After food, labor, rent, and all other miscellaneous costs, your average location is making the owner $250k per year.

Here’s the catch with Crumbl, last year the average profits were $150k…and the year before that it was $250k. Not so consistent which makes sense seeing that this business is very dependent on virality.

If you open a Crumbl, your betting on the team to consistently maintain a great menu, unique concepts, flavors, and marketing. On the other hand, 250k is on the higher end of the profits you tend to see any average franchise make…

Now, here’s my biggest issue with Crumbl. In 2023, the startup cost used to max out at $800k. In 2025, it starts there.

This insane rise in the startup cost is a massive issue and turns this venture very risky. The first movers who capitalized on the low cost got away and are probably very happy now but the guy who spends a million dollars to open one now will not have his money back for four years.

Now four years is usually not a bad number when your associating yourself with a great brand and reputable brand. For example, Taco Bell or Wingstop. But, Crumbl is scary. Their new and their whole operation is based on changing menus and staying viral. This is seen by the 50% drop they had in revenue in 2023.

Depends on where I live and if I already have immediate cashflow. There is no doubt the brand will be around for the next 4 years minimum and it’s definitely on the easier side when it comes to food franchises. It’s a lot less labor and the kitchen setup isn’t as complicated as a sandwich shop.

So, if I had the opportunity to open one in a large city with a heavy young population, I would do it. It definitely has a high risk to reward but the guys at Crumbl are proving themselves. I heard their working on dirty soda next….

I’d love to see what you guys think about Crumbl and also if your interested in opening one, let me know via the poll and I can connect you directly with Crumbl operators and franchise developers!