While Charles Terry III (photo at right) is in Evans today through Wednesday, training his employees at Crumbl, his business partner, Tobias Harris of the Philadelphia 76ers is training for tonight’s NBA game with the Phoenix Suns in Pennsylvania.
In October, the two childhood friends from Long Island, New York purchased the highly successful cookie franchise from Augustans Dr. Troy Akers and his wife Nancy, who just opened the Mullins Colony location in late April of this year.
“Tobias and I were looking to do business together for years,” said Terry, who once served as Harris’ strength and conditioning coach.
Together, the 1,600 square-foot Evans location is their 4th, the other three are in the Philadelphia area, a natural tie-in to Harris’ fame on and off the court.
He also co-starred alongside actor, Adam Sandler in the Netflix movie, “Hustle”.
While it’s natural for Harris to be a Crumbl brand ambassador and do interviews, Terry also plays a starring role, being selected by the Utah franchisor. Terry has his own website and Instagram page, and hosts events to highlight the brand.
It’s a perfect partnership as Terry also has significant food and beverage experience, operating multiple Popeyes restaurants.
COOKIES ARE LIKE REAL ESTATE
Crumbl’s is the fastest-growing cookie franchise in the country, with nearly 700 opened in almost all 50 states since 2017.
The timing was right as the Long Islanders were looking to expand their portfolio. The multi-million-dollar cookie business the Akers ran was appealing.
“We were open from April 21st to October 11th and there were some weeks we were the #1 store in the country,” said Dr. Akers.
Their numbers would make any potential franchisee salivate much like customers do over the 170 rotating flavors.
511,060 cookies sold in 24 weeks.
That’s not a typo. Don’t adjust your eyes.
Five Hundred Eleven Thousand and Sixty cookies.
Do the math. 21,000 cookies per week. 3,500 per day.
About 225 cookies per hour when the store is open. Throw in milk and ice cream.
Big money. Like with real estate, it’s important to sell at the right time.
“We knew it would be popular, but my wife and I had no idea, said Dr. Akers. We want to thank customers as we learned and got our processes down. We are honored to introduce the new owners who have more resources and will be able to give more opportunities to staff and the community.”
CRUMBL’S GROWTH DOWN THE ROAD
A second Crumbl is opening nearby.
The Mullins Colony Shopping Center on Washington Road in Evans is about 7 miles from the Village at Riverwatch—a 15-minute or so drive depending on traffic.
Jordan Trotter Commercial Real Estate handles the leasing for both and manages the Village at Riverwatch.
To date—this is the first store with a location in both centers. JT’s marketing director says the two centers serve different audiences.
“Mullins Colony is surrounded by a plethora of retail that can meet the needs of customers who need the one-stop shopping or quick fix to their shopping needs,” said Juli Means from Jordan Trotter.
“The Village at Riverwatch has more of a regional draw for shopping and entertainment for families,” she adds.
This includes a movie theatre, Top Golf, Dave & Busters, and more.
Means adds that besides Columbia County, Crumbl in the Village of Riverwatch will pull from West Augusta, downtown Augusta, North Augusta, and folks who might be traveling on I-20.
Two partners from Utah, near Crumbl’s headquarters, will run the Village at Riverwatch store.
“We think Augusta shows a lot of economic opportunity. For our location specifically, we were really excited to be so close to so many other great businesses, including the Costco right across the street,” said franchisee Milo Leakehe.
In many cities, it’s not uncommon to find a Crumbl every 15 minutes or so. “Our market research suggests that there is more than enough demand to support at least these two stores in the area.”
The cookie business is exploding across the world, with Crumbl taking a big bite out of the market.
According to the Market Data Forecast, a group that studies food and beverage vertical markets– cookies are currently a $34 billion business globally, with large sales increases expected over the next five years when the industry will approach $50 billion.
As for the two Utah natives, their target for growth is Georgia. The Augusta store will be their 3rd, with the other two about to launch in Savannah.
THREE OWNERSHIP GROUPS WITH BRIGHT FUTURES
Charles Terry III and Tobias Harris are excited about the expansion of their Crumbl franchises, in part because of the difference they can make in communities like the CSRA.
“We wanted to be part of a brand that represents the energy and love for people and customer service and giving back to the community.”
“Tobias and I want to create more jobs for youth. We are happy to walk into an industry where selling cookies and sweets to families who love this creates great energy for us,” added Terry.
As for the Akers, they are considering another food service business in the future—one in which they too can give back.
“We enjoyed the opportunity to employ more than 100 people and work with young people in the Augusta area. If another opportunity presented itself, we’d be interested,” said Troy Akers.
The Utah partners are very excited about the gift market Crumbl’s has in place.
“In some cities where Crumbl is more established, it’s become the go-to way of letting people know that you’re thinking of them. When my wife broke her foot a few years ago, we had several boxes of cookies show up the next day. It’s been fun to surprise friends and family by sending a box of Crumbl cookies with a thoughtful note,” said Milo Leakehe.
Leakehe is in the midst of permitting and construction delays and is learning that sometimes that is the way the “cookie crumbles” in the CSRA.
He wishes he could open the store tomorrow but he realistically does not expect the 1500 square-foot store to open until the first quarter of 2023.
All three ownership groups know the Crumbl brand is a recipe for success.
