Popular specialty cookie shop newest addition to Yosemite Crossing in Merced

Shawn Jansen
·2 min read

Mercedians looking to satisfy their sweet tooth will have a new option with the opening of Crumbl Cookies.

The popular cookie shop is celebrating the grand opening of the new Merced location on Friday. Crumbl Cookies is located at 3630 G Street, Suite E, next to Jamba Juice in the new Yosemite Crossing shopping center in north Merced.

“I’m super glad we ended up with this spot,” said owner John Gauthier. “I’ve waited two years to open the store in Merced and I’m glad I waited. There’s nothing like this shopping center in Merced and I don’t think there will be for some time.”

Gauthier owns 19 Crumbl Cookies shops, including the Turlock location, which was the first Crumbl Cookies to open in California.

Gauthier lived in Turlock for 33 years before moving to Colorado. He owns 72 restaurants, including the two Little Caesers pizza shops in Merced.

Crumbl Cookies opened its first shop in 2017 and has quickly grown into a popular destination for cookie lovers with its wide variety of cookies, including over 275 flavors.

Some of the customer favorites include cornbread, cookies & cream, s’mores, key lime pie, peppermint bark, caramel popcorn, buttermilk pancake and galaxy brownie.

Each week, Crumbl Cookies features six cookies.

“I think it’s the rotating menu that makes it special,” Gauthier said. “Each week we move four new cookies in and we move four cookies out. It keeps everything fresh for the consumer.”

Gauthier says his favorite cookie is the banana cream pie.

The cookies on the menu this week for the grand opening will be nilla bean cupcake, cinnamon frybread, molten lava, lemonade, and classic pink sugar and the classic milk chocolate chip.

Starting on Wednesday, June 14, orders will be available for delivery, curbside pickup, catering, and nationwide shipping will be available via the Crumbl App and online at crumblcookies.com.

“What’s unique is Crumbl has created a segment in the food industry that nobody is doing,” Gauthier said. “It’s nationwide. Everything is fresh every day. I love that we’re closed on Sundays so our employees get a day with their families. The cookies are the ultimate thing to buy to say, ‘Thank you,’ to someone.”

The Merced location will employ 60 people. The store hours will be 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m. to midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.

“The response has been phenomenal,” Gauthier said. “I think we’ve had more people apply to work at the Merced store than any other store. The population is very similar to Redding and our store does well there. I think Merced might be one of our better stores.”

Bakers Micaela Garcia, 20, left, and Zoe, 18, right, prepare dough for Molten Lava cookies at Crumbl Cookies, located at 3630 G Street, Suite E, in the new Yosemite Crossing shopping center in Merced, Calif., on Wednesday, June 7, 2023. The location’s grand opening is scheduled for June 9.
Bakers Micaela Garcia, 20, left, and Zoe, 18, right, prepare dough for Molten Lava cookies at Crumbl Cookies, located at 3630 G Street, Suite E, in the new Yosemite Crossing shopping center in Merced, Calif., on Wednesday, June 7, 2023. The location’s grand opening is scheduled for June 9.
A Crumbl Cookies logo inside the new location at 3630 G Street, Suite E, in the new Yosemite Crossing shopping center in Merced, Calif., on Wednesday, June 7, 2023. The location’s grand opening is scheduled for June 9.
A Crumbl Cookies logo inside the new location at 3630 G Street, Suite E, in the new Yosemite Crossing shopping center in Merced, Calif., on Wednesday, June 7, 2023. The location’s grand opening is scheduled for June 9.
Baker Micaela Garcia, 20, of Merced, cracks eggs while preparing the ingredients for dough to make Molten Lava cookies at Crumbl Cookies, located at 3630 G Street, Suite E, in the new Yosemite Crossing shopping center in Merced, Calif., on Wednesday, June 7, 2023. The location’s grand opening is scheduled for June 9.
Baker Micaela Garcia, 20, of Merced, cracks eggs while preparing the ingredients for dough to make Molten Lava cookies at Crumbl Cookies, located at 3630 G Street, Suite E, in the new Yosemite Crossing shopping center in Merced, Calif., on Wednesday, June 7, 2023. The location’s grand opening is scheduled for June 9.
Crumbl Cookies located at 3630 G Street, Suite E, in the new Yosemite Crossing shopping center in Merced, Calif., on Wednesday, June 7, 2023. The location’s grand opening is scheduled for June 9.
Crumbl Cookies located at 3630 G Street, Suite E, in the new Yosemite Crossing shopping center in Merced, Calif., on Wednesday, June 7, 2023. The location’s grand opening is scheduled for June 9.
Crumbl Cookies baker Zoe, 18, of Merced, measures ingredients for Molten Lava cookie dough, at Crumbl Cookies, located at 3630 G Street, Suite E, in the new Yosemite Crossing shopping center in Merced, Calif., on Wednesday, June 7, 2023. The location’s grand opening is scheduled for June 9.
Crumbl Cookies baker Zoe, 18, of Merced, measures ingredients for Molten Lava cookie dough, at Crumbl Cookies, located at 3630 G Street, Suite E, in the new Yosemite Crossing shopping center in Merced, Calif., on Wednesday, June 7, 2023. The location’s grand opening is scheduled for June 9.
Employees inside the new Crumbl Cookies, location at 3630 G Street, Suite E, in the new Yosemite Crossing shopping center in Merced, Calif., on Wednesday, June 7, 2023. The location’s grand opening is scheduled for June 9.
Employees inside the new Crumbl Cookies, location at 3630 G Street, Suite E, in the new Yosemite Crossing shopping center in Merced, Calif., on Wednesday, June 7, 2023. The location’s grand opening is scheduled for June 9.
Crumbl Cookies located at 3630 G Street, Suite E, in the new Yosemite Crossing shopping center in Merced, Calif., on Wednesday, June 7, 2023. The location’s grand opening is scheduled for June 9.
Crumbl Cookies located at 3630 G Street, Suite E, in the new Yosemite Crossing shopping center in Merced, Calif., on Wednesday, June 7, 2023. The location’s grand opening is scheduled for June 9.