With a backdrop of cliffside mansions, tanned bodies and expansive ocean views, Bondi is the go-to suburb for international brands looking to launch in the United States.
So when news broke on TikTok that a Crumbl Cookie pop-up was coming to Sydney's iconic beach hub, few people raised questions.
With many famous fans, the US-based bakery chain – which only sells domestically and in Canada – has secured a near-cult following.
But when Australian foodies began to bite into the treats, outrage spread like wildfire when it became clear they were eating days-old produce, sold by a few enterprising locals – without link with Crumbl – who had brought the biscuits back in suitcases from Hawaii. .
Adding insult to injury was the exorbitant price, with consumers paying A$17.50 ($12; £9) for the stale snacks, which had aged in the belly of a commercial airline.
Dubbed the great 'cookie controversy' and 'Crumblgate' by commenters, the mushy drama has sparked online debate – prompting legal action against sellers, as well as jabs at those willing to pay such an exorbitant amount just to be photographed enjoying the latest trendy treat.
It even inspired a last-minute Washington Post Food review of the cookies, which deemed them “disappointing” and “underbaked.”
The saga unfolded after dozens of people spent the day snaking around a shopping block in North Bondi on Sunday to secure their brightly colored Crumbl boxes.
All of this was apparently captured on TikTok – often in real time – as consumer after consumer filmed themselves biting into the hardened treats, responding with a series of grimaces rather than pleasure.
“It's actually really bad…the texture is just weird,” one vlogger said.
“I spent AU$150 on 10 cookies,” another woman said midway through the video, before offering a scathing critique.
Another group recorded themselves simply sniffing the battered treats, before offering a 3/10 rating.
The founder of the American company quickly took to social media to clarify that the Australian pop-up was not affiliated with his company.
It all made for a confusing story, followed by an apology from the Sydney organizers.
In a statement, a spokesperson – who declined to give their full name – said hundreds of the biscuits were purchased on a trip to Hawaii and then brought back to Australia in luggage.
He said everything the pop-up did – including using professionally taken photographs of the sweets and imitating the Crumbl brand – was “legal”.
And that they had tried to meet Crumbl's storage requirements, which state that products can still be consumed after three days, if kept in an airtight container.
“We held them to these requirements. Some have been reheated to improve their texture, which Crumbl also does.
“We apologize that they did not meet expectations. However, they are just cookies at the end of the day,” the statement added.
The strangeness of a group of people “taking an international flight to go buy biscuits” is not lost on Australian marketing expert Andrew Hughes, but he says bait-and-switch tactics are far from be new.
One recent example he cited was when dozens of people bought tickets to a Bridgerton-themed ball in Detroit, Michigan.
But instead of experiencing the glitz, glamor and expensive food promised by the event organizers, they ended up with soggy noodles, a single violin and a pole dancer.
To understand how these viral scams lure people in, it's important to examine the powerful emotions sparked by “fear of missing out” — or FOMO for short — Hughes says.
“In an age where information travels so quickly… people don’t want to be left behind. They act on impulse rather than logic,” he explains.
It is unclear whether the Crumbl spin-off breached Australian consumer law or whether those affected have grounds for action.
But beyond a few cease-and-desist letters, Hughes thinks the American brand is unlikely to take further action.
“They'll deny it. They'll say it's bad. But ultimately it's good publicity because it increases their brand awareness in Australia.
“All of a sudden, people who hadn’t heard of it are now talking about it.”
