Crumbl hopes to become a community fixture through cookies

The opening week of the Sammamish Crumbl Cookie bakery was plagued with windstorms.

Brightly colored balloon arches, placed outside their doors at Sammamish Highlands Plaza in celebration, toppled over with the wind. The trademark pink banners, proudly displayed over the entrance, blew out into the parking lots.

And yet, even with this unfavorable weather, customers excitedly crowded around Crumbl’s doors on its Nov. 4 opening day. People were eager to try out what was marketed as the “World’s Best Cookie” for themselves.

“We’ve had some orders placed before we were even open. [People] were really excited for us to get our doors open so we could fulfill those orders,” Sebastian Brost, co-owner of the Sammamish store, said.

Their customer list has only grown exponentially since the store’s opening.

Brost, in his early 40s, operates the store alongside his partner De’Shaun Hollis, 36. Neither one is new to the franchising business. The duo owns several other pizza places scattered across the greater Puget Sound area.

But Crumbl Cookie has always stood out to them. With the weekly rotating menu, the baker’s head logo, and the famous pink packaging, the franchise has become a recognized brand in many ways.

The main appeal for Brost, though, is the bakery’s unique layout.

“If you walk into any location, they’ll all have very similar sleek and modern designs… [I love] the open kitchen concept too, where people can come and see the staff members hand-making each and every cookie,” Brost said.

For Hollis, what attracted him to Crumbl’s brand was its involvement in the community.

For their Sammamish outlet, Crumbl’s proximity to Eastlake High School, Skyline High School, and Eastside Catholic means they can employ mostly high schoolers.

Boris Shteyngart, 16, is a student at Eastlake who works part-time at the Sammamish store.

“The people working there all have a great attitude to the work environment. The hours are very flexible too, you arrange what times you want to work, and what times you want off,” Shteyngart said about his experience.

These high schools also provide unique opportunities for collaboration.

Despite having been open for less than a month, Crumbl has already started planning numerous events.

“In January, we’re going to be hosting a fundraiser for the Eastlake Band,” Hollis said. A portion of all sales will go towards the Band Department during on a set day.

Local organizations, such as the YMCA and Boys & Girls Club, have scheduled similar events.

“Crumbl’s about embedding themselves in the community, helping everyone out… and just growing together over a box of cookies,” Hollis said.