Fast food, and more specifically, fast casual food, has changed quite a bit over the past several decades.
When previously Americans had just a handful of restaurants to select from if they were craving a quick meal on the go, nowadays, street corners, urban areas, commuting hot spots, and strip mall plazas are laden with new enticing options for every palette.
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Chipotle (CMG) -), Sweetgreen (SG) -), Panera, Panda Express, Jamba Juice, and even Krispy Kreme (DNUT) -) have all risen in popularity in recent years because they cater to very specific audiences. Sure, if your whole crew doesn't enjoy Mexican, it's probably not going to be a crowd pleaser the way McDonald's (MCD) -) might be.
But each grab and go-style eatery has cleverly carved out a niche corner of the market that larger incumbents may not have accounted for.
That's precisely where the success of Crumbl Cookies lies.
Sure, you can get a sweet treat at a McDonald's or Wendy's (WEN) -), but it might not have the same indulgent, home-cooked or inventive feel that a Crumbl Cookie has.
Founded in Utah in 2017, the relatively nascent company specializes in large, over-the-top cookies filled with inventive ingredients and a weekly rotating menu that keeps customers coming back.
At a price point of nearly $5 per cookie, Crumbl can't exactly be described as a cheap fast food option. It's more niche — even gourmet — by its pricing standards. Still, to many customers, its viral social media success and ever-changing arrangement of options justifies the cost.
Crumbl Cookies makes a big change
In fact, when all the company does is cookies, it might be pretty easy to justify higher price points for quality; plus, the cookies are really, really big. One serving is actually considered 1/4 of a cookie, and when you look at the nutrition facts, you'll understand why.
People don't seem to mind paying what a cup of coffee might cost for a single cookie, and they certainly don't seem to mind the calories. But Crumbl is betting that folks won't mind one other major change, either.
The cookie company, which only sells cookies (plus a few cookie accessories, like milk, water, and cookie cutters) will reimagine itself as simply Crumbl, indicating there could be more on offer soon at its over 900 stores.
Announced on Tuesday, Crumbl will change its signature pink cookie boxes to simply say "Crumbl" — no baker image on it, and no "cookies," written beside it. The box will stay pink.
"This is not a complete rebrand, but rather enhancements to the brand we’ve built a solid foundation upon," Chief Branding Officer and cofounder Sawyer Helmsley said, adding the company wanted to "infuse new life and energy into Crumbl while maintaining our core values."
While Crumbl remained mum on what might be next, its CEO recently commented that the company would make a concerted effort to slow expansion in the near future as it focuses on its next growth strategy, whatever that might taste — or look — like.
