A new franchise location of Crumbl Cookies opened May 30 in Tuscaloosa and immediately became mired in controversy after a local salon owner shared her experience with the business in a TikTok that currently has over 13 million views.
Morgan Harris, owner of Chaise Beauty Lounge in Tuscaloosa, posted a TikTok that was over 10 minutes long just hours after the grand opening of the new cookie shop, asking viewers to help her get in contact with Crumbl’s corporate office after a woman who identified herself as the owner of Crumbl Cookies allegedly threatened to sue her and her business.
Harris, in tears, tells viewers that she had spoken on the phone with a manager at Crumbl and had agreed to drop off a hundred $10 gift cards for her salon, which she said the managers could use as they pleased, such as to hand out to customers or to employees at Crumbl.
After her assistant dropped them off, Harris said, someone called her business, claiming to be the “owner of Crumbl” and accused her of trying to profit off their customers. Harris was unsure of who called her store at the time, but denied this claim, saying that her assistant never spoke to anyone in line, only dropped off the coupons and left.
She received another call, only a few minutes after the first, claiming that no managers gave her permission to drop off the gift cards and that Crumbl was going to pursue legal action.
“We were not trying to profit off of the company. We were just literally supporting you guys,” Harris said on TikTok. “I’ve worked so hard for my business, any of my clients know that, like, how hard I’ve worked to build it.”
The video ended with Harris asking viewers to tag the Crumbl TikTok account to help her get in contact with someone at corporate because she had no idea what to do next.
“I’m not trying to bash another business. I’ve just never been treated this way,” Harris said.
A day after the original video was posted, Harris posted another almost nine minute TikTok updating viewers. She told followers that Crumbl’s corporate had contacted her, and they were not taking any legal action.
Later in the TikTok, Harris said that the franchise owners came to her salon asking to talk, but she was not present, and she was also “advised not to speak to them.”
She ended her second video sharing that the calls threatening legal action did not come from the franchise’s official work phone but rather the personal phone of the franchise owner.
“I was disappointed, and that’s what this whole thing is kind of about,” Harris said when addressing why she shared the story on TikTok. “All I wanted, in that situation, was just for an apology.”
Attempts to reach the Crumbl store for comment were unsuccessful. The Crimson White also called Chaise Beauty Lounge, where an employee noted that Harris was not present and that the business would call back later, though the business did not call back in time for publication.
Harris returned to TikTok for the final update, showing viewers a screenshot of what she said was Crumbl’s official apology and letting viewers know, “There is no hate.”
“On behalf of Crumbl HQ and the owners of our Tuscaloosa, AL location, we sincerely apologize for how this situation was handled this past weekend…We recognize that our actions did not meet the standards of respect and care that we strive to uphold, especially toward small business owners and members of our community,” the screenshotted apology said. “We are dedicated to learning from this and working together with you and the community to move forward positively.”
Crumbl’s corporate office did not respond to an email request for comment in time for publication.
“I want people to stay here, to see the positive. I want to share businesses in my city,” Harris said in her final TikTok. “I want to do something for the city of Tuscaloosa, and I want to do something for the small businesses here and maybe all over.”
