Crumbl, the pink-boxed cookie chain that became a pandemic-era sensation, has closed 57 stores nationwide in 2026, including seven in California, according to a report from RestaurantBusiness.
The shuttered California locations include stores in Paso Robles, Pismo Beach, Hanford, Ladera Ranch, Mira Mesa, Cupertino, and Westlake Village, as first reported by SFGATE. Crumbl also closed stores in Alabama, Florida and Kentucky this year. The chain now operates just 20 stores across all of California, according to its website.
The closures follow a steep downturn in business. Traffic at Crumbl stores fell 32% year-over-year in August, and overall sales that month were 70% lower than two years earlier, per RestaurantBusiness. At least 55 franchises are currently listed for sale.
Crumbl was founded in 2017 by cousins Sawyer Hemsley and Jason McGowan, who opened the chain’s first location in Utah. It grew rapidly during the pandemic as its signature pink delivery boxes became a sought-after treat among younger consumers. A 2022 Dataessential report named Crumbl the fastest-growing dessert brand and the fourth-fastest-growing food chain in the country, with the company selling nearly a million cookies a day at the time.
The expansion continued from there. Crumbl opened 295 stores in 2023 alone, pushing its total past 1,000 locations nationwide by 2024. Last year, Bloomberg reported the company secured a $500 million credit loan from two private equity firms.
Earlier this year, Crumbl rolled out caffeine-free
