STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Crumbl Cookies had its official grand opening in October 2023. But Wednesday at 8 a.m. marked a different kind of milestone—a grand reopening after a massive flood shut the Staten Island bakery down for more than two and a half months. The disaster unfolded overnight when a sprinkler system in the suite above the bakery froze and burst, emptying directly into the Crumbl Cookies below. Staff received the emergency call at about 1:30 a.m.
“It was raining in the store,” co-owner Aimee Tarantino said. “There were two inches of water from front to back.”
As temperatures dropped, icicles formed on the front door, and the water couldn’t be shut off immediately. By morning, everything was soaked—equipment, ingredients and finishes. Even Crumbl’s expanding beverage line, still new to the brand, was damaged.
“We’ve been in and out of the store repairing and cleaning,” said Aimee Tarantino, co-owner of the shop. As she and her husband, Rob, knocked down icicles formed by dripping water in subzero temperatures, customers kept knocking on the door asking for cookies. But, Rob said, it was hard telling fans, “There are no cookies.”
Well, now there are cookies—buttery, sweet‑smelling and, for those who pair them with milk, ready for the dunking…