Crumbl’s founders just made a surprise announcement that could change the chain forever

The founders of Crumbl are stepping down. The move comes amid a “planned transition” for the cookie chain, the leaders shared in an X post on Monday.

The post, shared by CEO Jason McGowan, explained that he, along with co-founder and chief brand officer Sawyer Hemsley, as well as chief technology officer Bryce Redd will all be leaving their roles permanently. The three will remain in their positions until they find outside replacements through “rigorous hiring process.” The post explained that the leaders would remain closely connected to the brand with McGowan becoming chairman of the board and Hemsley and Redd as board members. 

“I believe now is the right time to bring in new leadership through an open search process. That is why I am sharing this now,” the post explained. It continued, “Getting the right people in place matters a lot, and I believe an open process will allow us to find the very best leadership to support Crumbl’s future success and stay involved to support a smooth transition.”

The letter added that moving forward, the company will “focus on scale” and the kinds of “innovation” that makes it a stand-out brand.

Whether you can’t get enough Crumbl or can’t stand the large cookies, many of which are served cold or with tons of toppings, the name itself evokes strong opinions from dessert lovers. Some social media users have even gotten in the habit of reviewing Crumbl cookies merely to drag them on the internet. 

Regardless of the haters, the brand, which was founded by McGowan and Hemsley in 2017 has grown to become a giant in the dessert industry. Currently, there are around 1,100 Crumbl locations across the U.S. However, the brand fell victim to mass layoffs in 2023, cutting about 10% off its corporate workforce that year.

Likewise, Crumbl has closed at least 19 underperforming stores in recent years. However, after rumors began to swirl that the brand itself would shutter, Rhonda Bromley, Crumbl’s VP of public relations, told Fast Company that those rumors were false and they are focused on the future.

“We have no plans for growth to stop and will be opening many more stores in both the United States and Canada in 2026,” Bromley said at the time. 

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