SALT LAKE CITY — Crumbl, the dessert powerhouse that redefined the modern cookie industry through viral social media marketing and a high-tech approach to retail, has announced a significant change in its executive ranks. The company has promoted Jacob Moncur to the position of Chief Technology Officer (CTO), succeeding Bryce Redd, who has served as the brand’s technological architect for over eight years.

The transition comes at a critical juncture for the Utah-based franchise. As the brand moves away from a period of unprecedented hyper-growth and enters a phase of operational maturation, the elevation of Moncur signals a refined focus on the digital infrastructure that supports its more than 1,100 locations. Moncur, who previously served as Crumbl’s Vice President of Engineering, is tasked with steering the company’s technical vision during a broader leadership overhaul that includes the eventual departure of the company’s original founders.

Main Facts: A New Era of Technical Leadership

Jacob Moncur’s appointment as CTO is a move from within, highlighting Crumbl’s preference for leadership that understands the brand’s unique "digital-first" DNA. Since joining the company in 2020, Moncur has been a central figure in the development of Crumbl’s proprietary technology suite. According to a company press release, Moncur played a pivotal role as an architect of the technology infrastructure that facilitated the brand’s rapid scaling.

His contributions were particularly felt in the development and refinement of the Crumbl mobile app. For Crumbl, the app is not merely a secondary sales channel; it is the primary interface for its customer base, driving the "weekly drop" culture that keeps consumers engaged with a rotating menu of flavors.

Outgoing CTO Bryce Redd, who has held the position since 2018, will not depart the company immediately. Instead, he will remain in an advisory capacity for a transitional period. This phased handoff is designed to ensure that the complex systems Redd built—which manage everything from inventory forecasting for rotating ingredients to real-time store performance data—remain stable under new leadership.

This executive shift is part of a larger restructuring. Crumbl’s co-founders, Jason McGowan and Sawyer Hemsley, have also signaled their intention to step down from their current roles once suitable replacements are found. This total transformation of the C-suite suggests that Crumbl is preparing to transition from a founder-led startup into a professionally managed global enterprise.

Chronology: From Garage Startup to Tech-Driven Titan

To understand the weight of Moncur’s promotion, one must look at the trajectory of Crumbl’s technological evolution over the past decade.

• 2017–2018: The Foundation. Crumbl was founded with a focus on a singular "perfect" chocolate chip cookie. However, the founders quickly realized that technology would be the differentiator. Bryce Redd joined in 2018, a period when the brand was just beginning to find its footing. His mandate was to build a system that could handle rapid franchising.
• 2020: The Pandemic Pivot and Moncur’s Arrival. Jacob Moncur joined the team as the world shifted toward contactless delivery and digital ordering. During this period, Crumbl’s app became its most valuable asset. Moncur’s engineering expertise helped the brand navigate a surge in digital traffic that overwhelmed many of its competitors.
• 2021–2023: Hyper-Growth. The brand experienced an explosion in popularity, largely driven by TikTok and Instagram. The technology team had to scale the backend infrastructure to support hundreds of new franchise openings. In 2023 alone, the chain added a net total of 281 stores.
• 2024–2025: Market Saturation and Stabilization. As the "cookie craze" began to normalize, the growth rate slowed. The technical focus shifted from "rapid deployment" to "operational efficiency."
• July 2026: The Transition. The announcement of Moncur as CTO marks the official beginning of Crumbl’s "Version 2.0," focusing on long-term sustainability rather than just expansion.

Supporting Data: Analyzing the Growth Plateau

While Crumbl remains a dominant force in the dessert category, recent data from its Franchise Disclosure Documents (FDD) reveals a cooling of the explosive growth that characterized its early years. The numbers provide a clear picture of why the company is shifting its focus toward technical efficiency and leadership stability.

Store Count and Net Openings

Crumbl’s expansion peaked in 2023. At the start of that year, the chain operated 691 stores. By the end of 2025, that number had climbed to 1,101. However, the rate of new openings has decelerated sharply:

• 2023: 281 net openings
• 2024: 87 net openings
• 2025: 42 net openings

This trend suggests that Crumbl has reached a point of market saturation in many domestic territories. With fewer new territories to conquer, the company must now focus on increasing the profitability and efficiency of existing locations—a task that falls squarely on the shoulders of the technology department.

Average Unit Volume (AUV) and Revenue Pressures

Perhaps more concerning for franchisees is the decline in Average Unit Volume (AUV). In 2024, the average Crumbl location generated approximately $1.35 million in annual sales. By the end of 2025, that figure had dropped to $1.14 million—a decrease of roughly 15%.

A 15% drop in AUV indicates that while the brand still has a massive following, the "novelty factor" may be waning, or the increased density of stores is leading to market cannibalization. For the new CTO, the challenge will be to use data analytics and loyalty programs to drive repeat visits and increase the "basket size" of each transaction to offset the AUV decline.

Official Responses: Continuity and Confidence

In official statements, Crumbl has emphasized that this leadership transition is a planned and positive step for the brand’s future.

"Jacob Moncur has been an integral part of the Crumbl family for years, serving as a primary architect of the systems that our franchisees and customers rely on every day," the company stated in a press release. "His promotion to Chief Technology Officer is a testament to his vision and his ability to execute complex technical strategies that drive business results."

Regarding the outgoing CTO, the company expressed gratitude for Redd’s foundational work. "Bryce Redd has spent more than eight years leading our tech strategy. His leadership was instrumental in taking Crumbl from a handful of stores to a national phenomenon. We are pleased that he will remain as an advisor to ensure a seamless handoff to Jacob."

While the founders, McGowan and Hemsley, have not yet exited, their impending departure has been framed by industry analysts as a natural evolution. Speaking to QSR Magazine, sources close to the company suggested that the founders feel they have "taken the brand as far as they can" in its current iteration and believe that a new executive team with experience in large-scale corporate management is necessary for the next chapter.

Implications: What This Means for the Future of Crumbl

The appointment of Jacob Moncur is more than just a title change; it represents a strategic pivot for the entire organization. There are several key implications for the brand’s future:

1. From "Expansion Tech" to "Efficiency Tech"

Under Redd, the goal was to build systems that could be "cloned" quickly as new stores opened. Under Moncur, the goal will likely shift toward optimization. This includes using AI and machine learning to better predict ingredient needs—reducing waste in a business model that relies on fresh, perishable components for its weekly rotating menu.

2. Enhancing the Ecosystem

The Crumbl app is already highly rated, but Moncur will likely look to integrate it more deeply into the "omnichannel" experience. This could involve more sophisticated loyalty rewards, personalized marketing based on past flavor preferences, and improved logistics for the brand’s growing catering and delivery segments.

3. Stabilizing the Franchisee Relationship

With AUVs declining, franchisees are likely feeling the pressure of rising labor and ingredient costs. The CTO’s role in this environment is to provide tools that lower the cost of doing business. Whether through automated inventory management or more efficient Point of Sale (POS) systems, Moncur’s success will be measured by his ability to help franchisees protect their margins.

4. Navigating the Post-Founder Era

The departure of founders often leads to a period of identity crisis for a brand. However, by promoting a long-term internal leader like Moncur, Crumbl is attempting to preserve its corporate culture while modernizing its operations. Moncur provides a bridge between the "scrappy startup" days and the "corporate giant" future.

5. International Expansion

As domestic growth slows (as evidenced by the drop to 42 net openings in 2025), Crumbl is expected to look toward international markets. A robust, scalable, and localized technology stack will be essential for success in diverse global markets, and Moncur’s experience in architecture will be vital for this transition.

Conclusion

Crumbl’s meteoric rise was fueled by a perfect storm of social media savvy and a unique product. However, as the novelty of the "pink box" settles into a permanent fixture of the American dessert landscape, the company is realizing that its long-term survival depends on the strength of its back-end systems.

Jacob Moncur inherits a tech stack that is the envy of the QSR industry, but he also inherits the challenge of a cooling market and declining per-store revenue. His leadership will determine whether Crumbl remains a dominant category leader or becomes a cautionary tale of a viral trend that couldn’t sustain its own weight. By placing a proven engineer at the helm of its technology strategy, Crumbl is betting that data, efficiency, and digital innovation will be the ingredients for its next decade of success.