It was a random Tuesday at a Crumbl Cookies location in Florida. The line was out the door and wrapped around the building. Back in the kitchen, Madison Schefer was shocked and excited about the fantastic day of business ahead. She would go on to find out that the reason behind the influx of cookie sales was a review on TikTok, the popular short-form video app. With the company’s dramatic expansion across the nation alongside its current 5.7 million TikTok followers, the rest, they say, is history.
“Social media has been a huge part of our growth,” says Zachary Schefer. “Each week, we announce our flavors on social media on Sunday night at 7:00 PM CST. We love that people watch and wait to see what flavors we will have.”
Before Crumbl Cookies was even born into existence, Zachary and Madison had moved across the street from Jason McGowan, the current CEO. Once the business kicked off, the two recognized how valuable and unique the product was. Madison recalls her time as a delivery driver, dropping off cookies until two in the morning across Utah Valley.
With the rising public interest in the constantly changing flavors, the Schefer siblings decided it was time to join forces for their own Crumbl Cookies location in 1890 Ranch. There were months of anticipation once the news broke. When they opened their doors, they were greeted by a never-ending crowd of cookie lovers.
“It was so awesome. We didn’t expect it to be as big as it was. We had more business than we could handle,” says Zachary. “But to have so much support from the local community meant a lot to us. We love that we were able to bring something that we love to the Cedar Park area.”
“The energy was absolutely astounding. I remember getting our first customer and had goosebumps throughout my entire body. I don’t think I stopped smiling that entire day,” says Madison. “It was such an amazing experience to be a part of something starting from the ground up—finding the location, unpacking boxes, painting, prepping, organizing, hiring, and training for the first day. I had the opportunity to man the line outside so that we didn't get too full in the lobby. I loved talking with everyone in Cedar Park and hearing that they were just as excited as I was."
Since that opening day, the Schefers have been busy around the clock. As the owners, they get to the store early to work alongside their employees, conduct interviews and training, order ingredients and fulfill daily communications. On a weekly basis, with the latest rotation of flavors, they are learning about and teaching employees new cookie-making techniques.
“Sometimes the responsibility is intimidating, especially as a 23-year-old girl,” says Madison. “But it has been such a great learning experience and I’ve made connections that I will cherish forever. I only ever work for companies where I feel like I truly love and want to represent the product, and Crumbl became that for me."
Visit Madison and Zachary at their Crumbl Cookies location at 1335 East Whitestone Blvd.
