A competing gourmet cookie shop is hoping for a similarly enthusiastic welcome from Augusta that Crumbl received when it opened in Evans last year.
Dirty Dough is coming to Exchange Lane in the shopping development that also holds Orangetheory Fitness and McAlister’s Deli, said the franchise owner, Michael Ralphs. It will have a soft opening in October and a grand opening about a month later with free cookies, he said.
The franchise, which was also started in Utah like Crumbl, sells layered cookies with fillings. For example, one has a peanut butter cookie outside, a brownie inside and then a fudge filling. Unlike Crumble, Dirty Dough keeps its toppings minimal because of the rich inside.
Michael and his wife, Maycie, moved to North Augusta in December from Utah, where they first learned about Dirty Dough, he said. Michael, 34, previously worked in building operations, construction and facility management, while Maycie, 25, has a culinary arts degree, he said.
“The food service industry is something we’ve been interested in for a while,” he said.
The couple applied for a franchise about six months before they moved to North Augusta, where they have family, he said.
“I liked [Dirty Dough’s] message, which is about how life’s not perfect,” he said. “We pride ourselves on our cookies being a little messy because it’s what’s on the inside that counts. Everyone is a little bit messy.”
Dirty Dough is still early in its growth, with about 30 locations open and about 60 locations in the works. Meanwhile, Crumbl has over 800 locations in 49 states. A new Crumbl at the Village at Riverwatch near Costco opened last week.
Last year, Crumbl sued Dirty Dough and fellow rival Crave, saying some of their marketing was “confusingly similar.” This week, Crumbl dropped its lawsuit against Crave but the one against Dirty Dough remains.
The lawsuit against Dirty Dough claims the founder’s brother is a former Crumbl employee who copied some of its recipes.
But Dirty Dough has taken the claims in stride, launching billboards that poked fun at the disagreement, such as one that said, “Cookies so good we’re being sued!”
The Dirty Dough founder Bennett Maxwell told KSL that the lawsuit had helped the company’s sales, calling it “the best thing that could have happened to us.”
