The great Bondi Crumbl cookie scam

If you were anywhere near North Bondi in late September 2024, you probably saw it: a queue snaking down Old South Head Road, phones out, everyone waiting on what they thought was the Australian debut of Crumbl Cookies. Here's the short version, because I get asked about it constantly - it was not Crumbl. The famous American chain had nothing to do with it. This was a fan-run pop-up selling cookies that had been bought in the US and flown over, and a lot of very patient people paid a lot of money for a cookie that had seen better days.

This one has become proper local folklore - part cautionary tale, part comedy - and it still makes me laugh (and wince) whenever I pass that stretch of road. Here's what actually happened.

What

An unofficial, fan-run Crumbl Cookies pop-up

Where

Old South Head Road, North Bondi - outside a trophy shop by a petrol station

When

One day, late September 2024

Affiliated with Crumbl?

No - the US company confirmed it was not involved

How the hype was built

For weeks beforehand, a TikTok account trading on the Crumbl name teased that the cult US brand was "landing in Australia," leaning on genuine-looking clips and that instantly recognisable pink Crumbl branding. Crumbl has been called the fastest-growing dessert chain in the United States, and Australians who'd only ever seen those giant, gooey cookies on their feeds were desperate for a taste. The marketing did its job: by the time the doors - well, the folding table - opened, the anticipation was enormous.

The reveal was the punchline. Instead of a shiny bakery, the "exclusive one-day event" turned out to be a makeshift stall set up in front of a trophy shop, next door to a petrol station. Not exactly the flagship launch the internet had been promised.

The cookies, the queue, and the price

According to multiple reports, the cookies weren't freshly baked at all - they'd been purchased in the US, reportedly baked days earlier and flown in before being sold here. Unsurprisingly, people who'd queued for up to an hour described them as dry and stale rather than the warm, fresh experience Crumbl is known for.

Then there was the price. Reports put the pop-up cookies at around $17.50 each, or roughly $75 for a box of five - a steep markup on the US shelf price of a few dollars a cookie. For a day-old import sold off a trestle table, that stung.

What Crumbl actually said

The US company moved fast to distance itself. Crumbl's co-founder took to social media to make clear the Sydney event was not affiliated with the company, adding the obvious point that the cookies are meant to be eaten fresh. Crumbl later said in a statement that while the Australian pop-up was not sponsored by them, they loved seeing excitement for the brand around the world - a diplomatic way of saying "nice try, but that wasn't us."

To be crystal clear for anyone planning a trip: at the time of writing there is no official Crumbl Cookies store in Bondi, and this pop-up was never connected to the real company. If Crumbl ever does open here properly, it'll be announced by Crumbl itself - not a mystery TikTok account.

The whole saga blew over quickly, as these things do, but it's earned a permanent place in Bondi small talk. My takeaway is a happy one: you never needed a flown-in American cookie to eat well around here. The good stuff was on your doorstep the whole time - fresh, local, and no queue required.