Update: Crumbs has uncrumbled.
If you flash back to 2009, before Baked By Melissa or Momofuku Milkbar was on your radar, you may remember that the trendiest dessert around were the giant cupcakes from Crumbs. Fast forward 5 years into a new era of designer foods, and the Crumbs empire has officially crumbled, announcing today that they’ll be closing all their locations for good. Cue: riots.
I once had a life-changing experience with Crumbs cupcakes. I was enjoying one of their enormous red velvet cupcakes one afternoon and then found myself sicker than I’ve ever been. I found out later that I had gotten food poisoning that was totally unrelated to the cupcake but because of a psychological phenomenon called Taste Aversion, I have hated cupcakes ever since. But now I feel like I’ve really been missing out.
Anyway, Crumbs’ sales have been on the decline for a while now, especially with all the competition they now have: think Magnolia Bakery and Baked by Melissa. Cupcakes are on their way to being as trendy as a Juicy tracksuits (AKA not at all. RIP Juicy tracksuits too). And in terrible, so-last-year fashion, Crumbs told their employees the morning of that they were closing every store by end of day. Suddenly, thousands without jobs, and millions without Crumbs cupcakes.
Put simply, there are new fancy desserts on the market that are outperforming cupcakes. Trends are called trends for a reason. They don’t stick around too long. For those of you who were Crumbs fans, feel free to mourn while eating a cupcake from a competing chain. And if it makes you feel any better, just remember you’re saving yourself $4.50 and 600 calories.
RIP Crumbs.