The millionaire co-founder of US biscuit chain Crumbl has broken his silence over the fake pop-up event hosted on Sydney’s Bondi Beach over the weekend.
Foodies and TikTok influencers who queued for more than an hour on Sunday to buy a $17.50 Crumbl cookie said they were sold “froggy” and expensive imports from a few days ago, instead of a cookie freshly baked.
Crumbl co-founder Sawyer Hemsley commented on a TikTok review by eastern suburbs mom influencer Elle, who lashed out after spending $150 on just 10 cookies.
‘You have to try them fresh in the USA!’ PS: This popup is not affiliated with Crumbl Cookies,” it said.
It’s the first time the US-based franchise has recognized the pop-up, which was enthusiastically attended by legions of Australian fans who queued up to try the cookies.
However, many were disappointed.
“I’m starting to feel bad… I can’t believe I waited an hour,” Elle said in her review.
The event, which was marketed as an “exclusive” on the CrumblSydney social media account, sold fans a pack of five cookies for a whopping $75.
Crumbl co-founder Sawyer Hemsley (pictured) broke his silence on Bondi pop-up
Sydney influencer Elle spent $150 on 10 cookies at fake Crumbl pop-up on Sunday
The co-founder left a comment on the influencer’s review, which has more than 500,000 views.
“This was like a scam, it’s actually very bad,” said TikTok food critic Hamze.
“It’s so sweet, the texture is just weird, it’s so sugary… I feel like I’m eating sugar.”
Organizers defended themselves on TikTok early Tuesday, arguing that the cookies were not obsolete and that they had never claimed to be an official Crumbl store.
“Our goal was to bring authentic Crumbl biscuits to Australia by importing them directly from the US,” they said.
‘We traveled to the United States to buy the cookies and imported them with their original packaging. We don’t bake them ourselves.
‘Crushed cookies should be kept at room temperature in an airtight container for up to three days, or refrigerated for up to seven days.
‘We kept them complying with these requirements. Some were heated to enhance their texture, which is what Crumbl also does.
The group said only a “couple of influencers” were disappointed by the quality.
Customers waited “hours” in line to try the famous Crumbl biscuits, but claimed the imported biscuits were “disappointing” (pictured, queues in North Bondi on Sunday)
The cookies sold for $17.50 each or five for $75 and fans lined up for more than an hour.
“While most customers enjoyed the cookies, a couple of influencers felt they didn’t meet expectations,” they said.
‘We apologize that (the cookies) do not live up to expectations, however at the end of the day they are just cookies.
‘While there may be a small difference in quality, some flavors may not appeal to some people.
“A lot of people came up to us and were there saying they were delicious and thank you for selling them.”
Organizers said they had met all legal requirements for the event and made very little profit from the pop-up.
The event, which was marketed as an “exclusive” on the CrumblSydney social media account, sold fans a pack of five cookies for a whopping $75 (pictured).
“This event was never about profit,” they said.
‘Our goal was to bring cookies to Crumbl fans. The import and resale is called parallel import. Parallel imports are legal.
‘We followed all legal procedures, declared the cookies as commercial products and obtained the necessary approvals from Australian customs.
‘We hope this clears up any confusion. Thank you to those who supported us and provided us with valuable feedback.’
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Crumbl for comment.
