21-Year-Old New Business Owner Opens First Crumbl Cookies Location in Durham
Crumbl Cookies lovers in Durham no longer have to drive to Wake County to get their cookie fix. Durham’s first Crumbl Cookies location is now open in a 1,451 square foot space in Renaissance Village near Southpoint Mall. Pickett Sprouse Commercial Real Estate Broker Anna Jenkins served as 21-year-old Lauren Call’s tenant representative and helped negotiate the lease for her first business.
Call moved to Durham with her husband who is in dental school and was about to start nursing school when she received the notice that her application to become a Crumbl Cookies franchisee had been accepted. She was initially inspired to apply for the opportunity because she was tired of having to drive to Wake County to satisfy her Crumbl Cookies cravings and was confident that the company’s tech-and-data driven franchise model would work in Durham.
Since her father, Warren Osborn, was a successful entrepreneur and investor who had built 10 businesses, the two decided to combine his knowledge of investing and Call’s love of cookies to become partners. Unfortunately, Osborn succumbed to ALS in November, just before Crumbl Cookies opened its doors.
“My father invested everything that he had in his family and his businesses, and that continued right up to the very end,” said Call. “He trusted me enough to invest in this business with me, and I trusted the incredibly successful Crumbl Cookies model. Our beautiful new store and the delicious cookies that we make hot and fresh every day are the result of this wonderful partnership.”
The space that the bakery is in was a former Subway shop and had to undergo a significant renovation to match the look of the Crumbl Cookies brand.
“We looked at several sites in the area, but Renaissance Village, anchored by Target, was the best choice,” said Jenkins. “It had the demographics, access, and visibility that she and the franchise were looking for. Lauren had this site in mind from day one and we thought Crumbl would be a great addition to the center.”
At Crumbl Cookies, the entire cookie-making process can be seen from start to finish. The company is best known for its signature pink boxes and its famous chocolate chip and sugar cookies, among many other varieties. Walk-in purchases, catering, and local delivery through DoorDash are all available.
Call’s Renaissance Village location opened at the end of November.
Pickett Sprouse is the commercial real estate division of West & Woodall Real Estate. It offers full-service commercial real estate brokerage and property management services. For more information, visit Pickett Sprouse Commercial Real Estate.