Crumbl
“Can a viral, franchise-driven specialty bakery sustain unit economics and brand relevance at 1,000+ locations while maintaining the social-media-driven novelty that fueled its growth?”
Founded2017
HQLindon, Utah, USA
FoundersSawyer Hemsley, Jason McGowan
Latest roundBuyout/LBO (upcoming, per PitchBook)
IndustryVertical SaaS / Restaurants
The story
Founded in 2017 as a single-location specialty cookie bakery in Logan, Utah, Crumbl grew explosively through social media virality and a distinctive rotating weekly menu model. By 2024 it had scaled to over 1,000 franchise locations across the US and Canada, becoming one of the fastest-growing franchise chains in the country. Its embedded finance footprint is minimal and primarily consumer-facing: Stripe handles online and in-app payments. A pending buyout/LBO transaction (per PitchBook) signals a potential ownership transition.
Product timeline
2017
Founded by cousins Sawyer Hemsley and Jason McGowan in Logan, Utah, starting as a single cookie bakery.· pivot
2020
Reached 90 locations across the US, driven by viral social media growth and a rotating weekly menu.· expansion
2022
Hired Graciela Chadwick (former Chick-fil-A and KPMG executive) as Chief Operating Officer to professionalize operations.· pivot
2024
Rebranded with new logo, color scheme, and visual identity after 37% year-over-year growth; reached 1,071 store locations.· expansion
The stack
1 layer disclosed in Crumbl’s embedded-finance stack
Payments / PSP
Accounting gap: none