Port Washington welcomed its newest cookie store Crumbl to Soundview Marketplace Friday afternoon, with the Port Washington Chamber of Commerce hosting a grand opening ceremony for its newest business.
Crumbl is a national franchise that sells famously large cookies and offers a weekly rotating menu of different types.
A slew of customers were in and out of the store throughout its opening day, all carrying the store’s iconic pink cookie box as they left.
Crumbl, located at 20 Soundview Market Place Unit 7, is open Monday-Thursday from 8 a.m. until 10 p.m., and Friday-Saturday from 8 a.m. until midnight. Port Washington’s Crumbl hired 67 employees, many of whom are local teenagers.
Crumbl is owned by Mai Pham, Austin Dickins and David Del Rio Gutierrez.
Port Washington Mayor Robert Weitzner presented Crumbl cookie owners with a proclamation from the village.
Weitzner said the village appreciates having Crumbl in the village. He said it is a benefit to have a well-established franchise in the shopping center.
“While we encourage small businesses and sole proprietors, to have the financial backing of a franchise means these people are here for the long run,” Weitzner said.
He said Crumbl is a great addition to the Soundview Marketplace and he is looking forward to it boosting business in the village.
The trio of owners, who met through mutual friends, came together to combine their skills to operate the cookie store.
Del Rio and Dickins met in culinary school and moved to New York City where they operated restaurants and went on to found Last Frontier Hospitality.
But at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the restaurant industry took a heavy hit and Dickins and Del Rio were seeking out other alternatives to continue their careers.
This is when the two partnered with Pham, who was looking for someone with experience in the food industry to launch a Crumbl franchise.
“It was a great opportunity for me to get back in the industry and do what I love, which is provide excellent hospitality and serve a product that I’m really proud of,” Dickins said.
Pham said this is her first venture in operating a franchise but was drawn to the Crumbl brand due to its mission to bring together friends and family with their cookies.
“We felt like Port Washington was a great community that was very tight-knit, close-knit and family-oriented,” Pham said.
Del Rio said they are looking forward to becoming part of the Port Washington community, creating a place for families to gather and share with friends.
Dickins said the Port Washington community has been welcoming to them and Crumbl and he is looking forward to serving them their big cookies.
