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What it takes to be a Crumbl franchiseeWhat it takes to be a Crumbl franchisee

Holly Petre, Alicia Kelso

February 15, 2024

 

Rick Diamond spent most of his career working as an accountant but, like so many others, decided he wanted to be his own boss after Covid hit and started thinking about franchising. Coincidentally, Rick's wife Emily was visiting family in Utah, which gave her the opportunity to visit Crumbl's very first store – a log cabin-like location that opened in Logan, Utah, in 2017.

She loved everything about the concept – the smell, the look, the product. Stores are closed on Sundays, which aligned with their values. They checked out an open location closer to home, in Louisville, Kentucky, and realized it was exactly what they wanted to pursue.

They set up a call with corporate and were approved for a store and, just this week, opened their third Crumbl location in their home market. Their experience with the concept has been “really positive, which is why we went for a third.” Notably, their experience also coincides with the company’s meteoric growth trajectory. Crumbl more than doubled its unit count from 2021 to 2022 and now counts nearly 1,000 shops, while its sales jumped more than 2.5 times to $985 million during that same timeframe.

About the Authors

Holly Petre

Assistant Digital Editor

Holly Petre is a digital editor for Nation’s Restaurant News as well as the host of NRN’s podcast, Extra Serving, and producer for Informa Restaurant and Food Group’s other three podcasts, One On One by Food Management, Off the Shelf with SN and In the Kitchen with Bret Thorn. Holly holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a concentration in Sculpture, fibers and Material Studies and Ceramics from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. A native New Yorker, Holly enjoys her place on staff as the resident pop-culture expert and millennial with a sassy attitude and great sense of style.

Holly Petre’s work on Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality often covers marketing and trends, either aimed-at or examined-through the millennial mindset. Holly is responsible for introducing TikTok and Twitch to NRN and RH readers as well as explaining terms like “Karen” to staff and readers alike. She also spends her time on staff trying not to make every headline a pun.

Holly Petre hasn’t spoken at any events or on panels, but she is readily available with a killer shoe wardrobe and several witty quips.

 

Alicia Kelso

Executive Editor, Nation's Restaurant News

Alicia Kelso is the executive editor of Nation's Restaurant News. She began covering the restaurant industry in 2010 for QSRweb.com, FastCasual.com and PizzaMarketplace.com. When her son was born, she left the industry to pursue a role in higher education, but swiftly returned after realizing how much she missed the space. In filling that void, Alicia added a contributor role at Restaurant Dive and a senior contributor role at Forbes.
Her work has appeared in publications around the world, including Forbes Asia, NPR, Bloomberg, The Seattle Times, Crain's Chicago, Good Morning America and Franchise Asia Magazine.
Alicia holds a degree in journalism from Bowling Green State University, where she competed on the women's swim team. In addition to cheering for the BGSU Falcons, Alicia is a rabid Michigan fan and will talk about college football with anyone willing to engage. She lives in Louisville, Kentucky, with her wife and son.

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