Why Crumbl Cookies Is Dominating Every Other Fast Food Chain at Social Media

As the fourth fastest-growing franchise in the country, the bakery concept is proving just how powerful a large fanbase online can be when it comes to supporting real-life expansion.

By Luca Piacentini1851 Franchise Managing Editor

9:09AM • 03/22/23

In today’s digital world, every franchisor is looking to crack the code of viral social media success. One brand that seems to have mastered some of that dark magic is Crumbl Cookies, the relatively young bakery chain famous for its weekly “drops” of new cookies. Since starting in 2017, the brand has expanded to include a whopping 700 locations across the U.S.—a nearly unprecedented pace of growth for such a new concept.

A uniquely strong social media presence has been a big part of the brand’s sudden rise to fame, where Crumbl currently has 6.6 million TikTok followers and 3.6 million Instagram followers respectively. Competitor cookie chain Great American Cookies* has only 45,000 followers on Instagram. Crumbl’s following even outpaces some of the other legacy food franchise chains such as Burger King, which has 1.9 million followers on Instagram. Crumbl also has the ninth-most downloaded app on the entire Apple Store.

So, how does Crumbl do it? To start, people just really love looking at cookies: the preparation, the baking, the decoration, the first bite. Crumbl knows it. This simple, 14-second video of an employee crafting an Oreo-themed cookie backed by trap-flavored EDM has scored 1.7 million likes.

Additionally, Crumbl’s famous cookie drops are intriguing fans, even if it’s just announcing new flavors. This round-up video of one of the brand’s more recent flavor drops—Blueberry Crumb Cake, Dark Dream, Cookie Dough and Ultimate Peanut Butter Cookies—has amassed 6.7 million views in just three days. Exclusivity is becoming more powerful in the food service space, and smart brands like Crumbl are taking note.

“Having only four flavors a week is a great marketing tactic and gets consumers excited about it,” social media influencer Kelsie Flaim, @thehungryfoodie on TikTok, told Modern Retail in regards to Crumbl. “Each cookie feels exclusive, so consumers feel the need to rush to the store to be able to try it before it’s gone.”

Crumbl has also clearly amassed a team of young people brought on to help grow the brand’s social media presence through simple, yet effective, creative content. This Super Bowl-themed video from February shows two Crumbl representatives walking around Glendale, Arizona offering a free cookie to anybody willing to answer: “Who is going to win the big game this weekend?”

This short video of two friends walking side-by-side eating churros—a subtle hint at Crumbl’s upcoming lineup—has nearly 1 million views.

And it's not just the view counts that are growing for Crumbl. It was the fourth fastest-growing restaurant chain in the country last year, according to the Technomic Top 500 Chain Restaurant Report. Sales are up nearly 500% since 2019. Restaurant Business reports that Crumbl’s locations average $1.7 million and generate more than $350,000 in net profit.

Jason McGowan, the CEO and cofounder of Crumbl, claims that the brand’s franchise growth strategy has been 100% organic up to this point with zero advertising. If this is true, it showcases how powerful a digital marketing presence can be when it comes to bringing tangible results.