Popular US-based brand Crumbl Cookies has announced it will fast-track plans to open in Australia, after a rogue pop-up stand in Sydney created huge hype for the company’s kilojoule-filled products.
The announcement comes after unaffiliated fans of the American company flew in hundreds of cookies to sell at a temporary store near Sydney’s Bondi Beach, charging $17.50 a biscuit. The cookies usually sell for US$4.49 ($6.67) in the US.
The Bondi sale soon turned stale after customers tasted the days-old imported cookies, although the event generated significant publicity for the American dessert company. The fans denied the cookies were stale.
Crumbl said in a statement it had been “amazed by the support of fans in Australia over recent weeks”.
“Crumbl has been inspired to accelerate plans to provide all dessert-loving Aussies with a true Crumbl experience,” the company said.
Speaking to Nine newspapers, the cookie brand’s co-CEO Jason McGowan said there were no plans to launch legal action against the fans.
McGowan, who flew into Australia following the viral saga, went on to reveal that he had been scouting locations including Bondi Junction and Circular Quay.
“It was shocking that, one, they charged that much for the cookie but, two, that people were actually lined up and willing to pay for it,” he told Nine newspapers.
An Australian opening would be a major milestone for the US-based company, which opened in 2017 and operates a franchise model with more than 850 stores in North America.
Just over 20 years ago, Krispy Kreme opened its first store outside North America in the Sydney suburb of Penrith.
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Crumbl’s classic milk chocolate chip cookie has 730 calories (3,054 kilojoules) – 24% more than a Big Mac’s calorie count.
The company does optimistically suggest a serving size should be 30g, which equates to 140 calories (586 kilojoules).
The organisers of the Bondi pop-up have apologised for the event, and deleted videos from social media. It’s unclear if the store was a financial success.
They have likely fared better than the organisers of the Willy’s Chocolate Experience event in Glasgow earlier this year. Children were reportedly in tears when they saw the sparsely decorated warehouse that looked nothing like the fictional chocolate factory, prompting organisers to provide refunds.
Source: www.theguardian.com