Used tech-style A/B testing to perfect the recipe before opening. Created scarcity with weekly rotating flavors announced like product drops. Made cookies Instagrammable—even partnered with Pantone for the perfect pink box.
What Changed
Franchising unlocked explosive growth starting in 2020. Mom became first franchisee in 2018, then hundreds of units opened annually. Social media mastery—1.6M TikTok followers in 6 weeks—turned cookies into cultural moments. The New York Times reviewed flavors like they were events.
Where it Landed
Over 1,000 locations selling 1M+ cookies daily. $1B+ in annual franchise sales. Still expanding with first-mover advantage and a 16M-strong social following keeping competitors at bay.
The Principles
1.
Borrow genius from other industries. Tech A/B testing and Supreme's drop model don't belong to tech or streetwear—they work anywhere scarcity creates demand.
2.
Make the product the marketing. Instagrammable packaging and weekly flavor reveals turned customers into a free distribution army posting millions of impressions.
3.
Franchising is rocket fuel if you nail the model first. Capital-light expansion let two cousins hit 1,000 stores in 8 years without massive outside capital.
Builder's Takeaway
If you want Crumble-style growth, steal this:
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Test relentlessly before you scale—perfect the core product with real customer feedback
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Engineer scarcity and anticipation (weekly drops, limited runs) to create habit and urgency
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Design for shareability—every detail should beg to be photographed and posted
