Crumbl Cookies in DeKalb promises to be more than another cookie cutter shop, says owner

DeKALB – Opening up a Crumbl Cookies along Sycamore Road in DeKalb wasn’t always a part of Bill Badruddin’s plans, but the more he gave the idea some thought, the more it started to make sense.

So when an opportunity arose to set up shop in the same tenant space that was formerly home to one of his father’s locally franchised Subway restaurants, Badruddin said he knew he couldn’t pass it up.

“I was in a stroller in the back of this space right here,” Badruddin said, referring to pictures captured around 1991. “We used to own the original Subway at this address. … That’s just destiny right there that this was all meant to be for me to bring my concept from Chicago all the way out here to DeKalb to my hometown [and] have this space available.”

On Wednesday night, Crumbl Cookies in DeKalb opened its doors to customers for the first time, treating them to a special sneak peak of what’s in store.

The grand opening of Crumbl Cookies in DeKalb, which will get underway starting at 8 a.m. both Friday and Saturday, is expected to mark the moment when things come full circle for Badruddin. On Friday, the event will feature free milk and chocolate chip cookie giveaways all day. In addition, one lucky winner will walk away with a grand opening giveaway party box. On Saturday, the store will hold an hourly raffle where patrons can vie for the chance to receive a single cookie every week for a year.

Badruddin, who lives in Chicago but is a Sycamore High School graduate, said he is excited to bring a Crumbl Cookies store to his hometown.

“I grew up operating … franchises with my family,” he said. “We did our best every single day to provide an experience for our customers. … We always have a special place in our heart to make sure we took care of our customers because of how much we loved DeKalb and Sycamore. I plan to do the same here with Crumbl [Cookies], with the rotating menu and brand-new flavors. I want to dare my fellow people of Sycamore and DeKalb to try something new and different.”

Badruddin said customers can rest assured that this is not another cookie cutter type shop.

“At the end of the day, it’s just about giving it a shot and seeing the differences – the rotating menu, the interesting flavors, the suspense of never knowing what you’re going to see when you come in,” Badruddin said. “Then obviously, the open bakery aspect, you can see us doing everything. We make everything from scratch. You can taste that with every bite. So, I think I dare those type of people to come in, and I guarantee their mind will change when they walk out.”

At Crumbl Cookies, Badruddin said customers will soon be able to expect cookies that are specific to the DeKalb location.

“I’m going to start a program pretty soon called ‘Hometown Picks,’” he said. “What that means is I will pick something dedicated to this hometown. So, I have the cornbread cookie in the lineup. [I will have] pumpkin flavor, as well. Pumpkin flavor as reminiscent of Pumpkin Fest. Obviously, corn for cornbread cookies.”

Crumbl Cookies is located at 2566 Sycamore Road in the Northland Plaza Shopping Center between GameStop and WestSide Children’s Therapy.

The shop’s hours of operations are from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and from 8 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday. The store is closed Sunday.