What Does Crumbl Do With Leftover Cookies At The End Of The Day?

At the end of the day, when work is wrapped up, dishes are done, and jammies are on, the only remaining item for the day is to figure out what's for dessert — and when you don't have something on hand at home, a popular place to curb that sweet tooth is Crumbl Cookies. 

The chain, founded in 2017 and reportedly earning $1 billion a year via 1,000 locations, is known for its rotating menu of cookies housed in Pepto Bismol pink boxes as well as for being closed on Sundays. But, every single week, they debut a plethora of new flavors — anything from Pumpkin Chocolate Chip to the Classic Pink Sugar — and fans frantically await the chance to head to their nearest Crumbl to taste-test each one.

With this constantly changing lineup of warm, gooey cookies, one might wonder, what do the employees do with any leftovers? 

According to a Reddit thread, it depends on the location (Crumbl is a franchised company). One employee said, "We used to (throw them out). Now we save them and every Monday they are picked up by a food bank." Another person claimed that employees take home any remaining cookies for their friends and families. But, somebody else shared, "The store here just throws everything out the next morning ... so much waste."

This discussion about Crumbl's leftover cookes began back in June, when someone posted a viral Instagram video alleging that the chain gives away any cookies it doesn't sell at the end of the day. Several employees have responded to these rumors and have denied the claims, while also begging customers to stop calling for complimentary sweet treats. 

While the chain sells around 5,000 cookies every single day, there are always leftovers. But, since many stores close late in the evening (10 p.m. during the week and midnight on the weekends), many spots that would otherwise take food donations are often closed. That could be one reason why managers may decide to throw away remaining cookies that they can't sell. It's factors like these that have led to the ongoing food waste epidemic within the industry as restaurants produce around 22 to 33 billion pounds of food waste every year, according to the Move For Hunger organization.

Crumbl co-founders Jason McGowan and Sawyer Hemsley have yet to comment on these claims, even as commentary continues to circulate on social media like one TikTok user who shared her thoughts when finding out her location trashes their remaining cookies: "They would rather throw them away than actually give them away to people. That makes me so sad."