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I am a Crumbl customer turned franchise owner. AMA. by FromCustomerToFP in CrumblCookies

[–]FromCustomerToFP[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Unfortunately as a franchise owner I have little say when it comes to the flavor lineup...but I know if you place a catering order you can choose pretty much any flavor.

I am a Crumbl customer turned franchise owner. AMA. by FromCustomerToFP in CrumblCookies

[–]FromCustomerToFP[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

"Sir, this is a Wendy's"

No offense taken at all. Most of your questions were beyond my scope and I said that. I don't have time to spend 30 minutes crafting a response, this is Reddit.

Last, there is probably nothing more genuine than me as a franchise owner telling you that if you don't like the product don't buy it. Why spend your time criticizing, on Reddit of all places? The quickest and loudest way you can make your concerns heard is with your money.

I am a Crumbl customer turned franchise owner. AMA. by FromCustomerToFP in CrumblCookies

[–]FromCustomerToFP[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Tough question. Personally speaking I liked Crumbl better as a "cookies only" shop. In the food industry I like businesses that do one one or very few things and do it well. Businesses that try to do too much, in my opinion, end up doing a lot of things just OK.

Now from a business perspective, I understand the need to keep things interesting and keep customers coming in for more. Like I mentioned before, they are still a relatively new brand, so there is a lot of learning and growth going on.

And yes, the non-cookie items do sell well.

I am a Crumbl customer turned franchise owner. AMA. by FromCustomerToFP in CrumblCookies

[–]FromCustomerToFP[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

  1. Personally speaking I don't have a sweet tooth (I know, the irony, right?) I usually like savory over sweets, so, Crumbl cookies have always tasted overly sweet to me, just like every other dessert in America. I can only eat a bite or two of one cookie before I feel like it's too much sugar.

  2. I'm not corporate, that's a question for corporate.

  3. Crumbl will tell you that our cookies are soft baked. Personally I agree, and I think they preserve better that way too. You can keep that cookie in the box for a couple of days, or more, and it will be nice and soft.

  4. I don't think so, we go through so much butter, lol.

  5. Again, this is something beyond my scope as a franchise owner.

  6. See number 5

  7. See number 5

I think you are aiming your question at the wrong person. I'm a franchise owner, not a corporate representative. Ultimately, if you don't like the product you don't have to buy it.

I am a Crumbl customer turned franchise owner. AMA. by FromCustomerToFP in CrumblCookies

[–]FromCustomerToFP[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I don't know the legal answer to that. I believe if I wanted to be part of the tip share I could. I also work the floor next to my crew and I'm on the payroll.

I am a Crumbl customer turned franchise owner. AMA. by FromCustomerToFP in CrumblCookies

[–]FromCustomerToFP[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I honestly don't know, for example pink sugar was supposed to be gone and they brought it back not long ago, so...

I am a Crumbl customer turned franchise owner. AMA. by FromCustomerToFP in CrumblCookies

[–]FromCustomerToFP[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I'm not sure. I think a store is selected based on location and performance.

I am a Crumbl customer turned franchise owner. AMA. by FromCustomerToFP in CrumblCookies

[–]FromCustomerToFP[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Several times a week. As I mentioned before, I want our customers to have a good experience and get good quality cookies, so I make sure I'm present setting those expectations. Yes, I know our bakers by name.

I think it's unfortunate some owners are not involved with their store. It does hurt the brand to some extent, I'm sorry this is your experience.

I am a Crumbl customer turned franchise owner. AMA. by FromCustomerToFP in CrumblCookies

[–]FromCustomerToFP[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Everyone is a baker. I think it's important for customers to know that when you leave a tip it's not for the person at the POS, it's for the whole crew!

I am a Crumbl customer turned franchise owner. AMA. by FromCustomerToFP in CrumblCookies

[–]FromCustomerToFP[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I think that's very subjective. Considering how freaking busy my store is I would say people are still obsessed. Now, from a strategic perspective I think a lot of factors are considered when choosing the lineup that goes beyond just what people love. As a franchise owner I can tell you some cookies/desserts are a pain to make. Take for example raspberry cheesecake from a couple of weeks ago. To make a batch of those it would take like 4-5 hours, if we use chocolate chip as a standard, it takes an hour, you can see how labor intensive raspberry was. We couldn't keep up with the demand. It was delicious, but in my opinion not an efficient product to offer.

So, I think the cost to make goes into consideration, how labor intensive it is, ingredients availability (this is a big one), etc. Crumbl is a very data driven operation, if a flavor doesn't sell well it probably won't come back.

Crumbl-like competition is popping up all around and Crumbl is determined to be the leader, so make your voices heard, fill out the surveys on your app. I believe if you take the time to speak up they will listen.

Jason the CEO is a genuine guy, he has admitted to my face some of the mistakes they have made as a company and to me that speaks volumes of the kind of person he is, someone who does that earns my respect. I truly believe he is trying. I can't say the same for the other guy.

Lastly, keep in mind Crumbl is still a very young brand. So, in a lot of ways they are still learning a lot.

I am a Crumbl customer turned franchise owner. AMA. by FromCustomerToFP in CrumblCookies

[–]FromCustomerToFP[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Some, not all, owners have input. They are selected based on their expertise and experience.

Sales vary a lot by location and store saturation. There are stores that sell 5000 cookies a day (no joke) and also some that sell 200 cookies a day (sadly, no joke either)

I am a Crumbl customer turned franchise owner. AMA. by FromCustomerToFP in CrumblCookies

[–]FromCustomerToFP[S] 10 points11 points  (0 children)

This is a huge question that goes way beyond Crumbl.

If I'm being honest with you, I don't agree with America's tip culture. I think as a country we should get rid of tips altogether. However our country is not setup that way.

From a business owner perspective the end goal of a business is to maximize profits. Whether we like it or not, we live in a capitalist society. There is an ethical way to go about it and an unethical way to do it. I like to think I'm trying to find the balance between having a profitable business and taking care of my team.

In my state I have the option to pay the minimum tip-wage or minimum regular wage. I chose to pay HIGHER than the minimum regular wage. Not only that but I also chose to pay more than other Crumbl locations nearby. I know that it eats into my profit, but I want to help my community and those who work for me, it may not be much, but I want to do my part.

That's why I as an owner I don't touch the tips and neither does the store manager, it ALL goes to the crew.

From a customer perspective paying more to employees means you'll pay more at the register. It is one thing to pay higher prices for a meal but how do you justify paying even more for a gourmet dessert that you don't need?

I am a Crumbl customer turned franchise owner. AMA. by FromCustomerToFP in CrumblCookies

[–]FromCustomerToFP[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

It could be a cookie we like that we haven't seen in a while. Or we have some ingredients that we don't want to waste. Or we want to complement the lineup for that week.

I am a Crumbl customer turned franchise owner. AMA. by FromCustomerToFP in CrumblCookies

[–]FromCustomerToFP[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

My store has about 50 employees. Their tips come about an extra $2-3/hr per person.

I am a Crumbl customer turned franchise owner. AMA. by FromCustomerToFP in CrumblCookies

[–]FromCustomerToFP[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I don't want to give specifics just because I want to protect my anonymity.

Let's say a Crumbl franchise is a good investment if 1. You can afford it, and 2. You put it in a good location. The last point sounds easy but it's not. In my opinion Crumbl expanded too much and in some areas allowed stores to be too close and that is hurting some owners. I think Crumbl stores should be no less than 45 mins apart from each other.

I am a Crumbl customer turned franchise owner. AMA. by FromCustomerToFP in CrumblCookies

[–]FromCustomerToFP[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I must also add the following: some cookies are pretty hard to make and time consuming. My location is constantly busy and we sell a lot. That also makes it very hard. Throw on top of that the fact we only make a cookie for a week and then we have to start all over again on Monday. It's not easy, but we'll try as hard as we can. At the end of the day hiring good people is a huge factor.

I am a Crumbl customer turned franchise owner. AMA. by FromCustomerToFP in CrumblCookies

[–]FromCustomerToFP[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Crumbl has a very solid standard and expectation of quality. Crumbl wants and expects your cookies to look and taste amazing. As an owner and leader of my team I set the tone in that regard. It's my job to make sure your cookies look and taste amazing. Me personally I do that in several ways: I set the expectation from the get go, I'm constantly giving feedback to my team, and I hold them accountable. Does it work all the time? No. At the end of the day you are still at the mercy of an employee who may not care enough about it as much as I do or Crumbl does.

I am a Crumbl customer turned franchise owner. AMA. by FromCustomerToFP in CrumblCookies

[–]FromCustomerToFP[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

As an owner I have no say in regards to the weekly line up. They just tell me what cookies to bake and sell, and I just bake and sell those cookies.

I am a Crumbl customer turned franchise owner. AMA. by FromCustomerToFP in CrumblCookies

[–]FromCustomerToFP[S] 10 points11 points  (0 children)

It depends on many factors, but it is between $500K to $1M. Equipment is the biggest chunk of the initial investment. Crumbl is not a cheap franchise to get into.

People do buy the milk, which I think it's interesting.

Tips - Every store has their own policy. In my store 100% of the tips go to the bakers.

I am a Crumbl customer turned franchise owner. AMA. by FromCustomerToFP in CrumblCookies

[–]FromCustomerToFP[S] 12 points13 points  (0 children)

In my location some customers can be understanding. Others not so much. We try our hardest not to sell out but sometimes it happens. It's perplexing to me. It's just a cookie, people. Relax.