Owner Of New Crumbl Cookies In Tinley Park Ready To Open Doors

TINLEY PARK, IL — Derek Hincks has been working nonstop for months to open the doors of his Tinley Park Crumbl Cookies location, and for a while he's was so close to being ready, he can just about smell the cookies. But he couldn't just yet, because they were missing one key piece of the puzzle: ovens.

Finally, after weeks of waiting, the ovens are in, and the cookies are piping hot. Hincks, who owns another Crumbl location in Indiana, has honed his business and franchisee skills and is excited to get started in Tinley Park.

Located at 15943A S. Harlem Ave., the area's newest Crumbl Cookies shop opens Friday, Jan. 6. Hincks, who has a 20-year background in business and experience in supply chain management, always dreamt of owning his own company, and Crumbl seemed like the right fit.

"I’ve always wanted to own my own company," he said. "I want to own a franchise. It’s a proven model—as long as you’re running your business well, you have a higher chance of being successful."

Hinck and his wife Michelle were born in and lived most of their lives in Utah. At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Hincks' employer at the time cut a large percentage of employees, and eventually Hincks himself decided to seek a new opportunity. He moved Michelle and their two children—a daughter, 10, and son, 12—in pursuit of a new position.

“It’s time for a change," Hincks said. "We can move an hour, two hours away, but if we’re going to uproot our family, let’s broaden our horizons, and go anywhere.”

Within a year of the new job based in Chicago, burnout hit Hincks, and he decided it was time to try his hand at franchising.

"My wife loves Crumbl Cookies," he said, of how he landed on Crumbl as the ideal opportunity. "Absolutely loves it."

She once insisted he drive an hour while they were on vacation at the Wisconsin Dells, he said, because she'd heard they opened a Crumbl location in Wisconsin.

The timing was right. Hinck and his wife Michelle now live in St. John, Indiana, and opened their first Crumbl location in July, at 819 Joliet St. in Dyer. in July 2022. Even before opening their Tinley Park shop, they're also already eyeing a third location, in Homewood.

They've learned a lot of lessons along the way with their first location, many of which will carry over to their new location(s). As part of Crumbl standards, the treats are mixed, rolled and baked in-house in an open kitchen and the cookies come as big as your hand.

"It was a learning curve for us, we were new to making cookies," he asaid. "Oh my God, it’s not just making cookies. We make our cookies from flour, sugar and butter, we make ‘em from scratch, our frosting we make from scratch. There are 2-3 processes for each cookie."

They've also implemented an employee code of conduct, of sorts, at their Dyer location.

"We created an environment where people love to come to work," Hincks said. "We created this code of conduct which is basically, 'Be kind.' There’s no foul language, no inappropriate jokes. When you’re in here, be kind, have fun, enjoy yourself, and don’t worry, because you won’t be judged or picked on."

Crumbl brings with its name a specific style and brand. Each week, customers are greeted with a new menu of six cookies. The rotating menu always features the shop's signature milk chocolate chip and a variation on a chilled sugar cookie. Depending on the day and season, the other cookies on the menu could include flavors such as churro, lemon glaze, birthday cake, candy corn, macadamia nut, pink velvet, sea salt toffee or circus animal cookie.

On the menu each week is the chocolate chip cookie, with other flavors created and featured, some seasonally. Customers can place their orders on self-serve kiosks throughout the store, or order ahead on the Crumbl Cookies app. The app, which is available on Google Play and in the Apple Store, also unveils each week's cookie menu every Sunday night, offering customers a sneak peek of what's in store. The app also offers cookies for delivery.

In addition to being in the baking business, Hincks is excited to become engrained in the Tinley Park community. During his time at the Dyer location, he and the business have sponsored soccer teams and a high school dance troop, as well as held fundraisers for schools. They've awarded cookies as prizes for a reading challenge, too, for local schoolchildren. He hopes to carry over some of the same programs to the Tinley Park location. He'll start by visiting schools, and fire and police departments—with free cookies in hand.

"We really like to be involved in the community," Hincks said, "and do what we can to help the community."

A grand opening celebration set for Jan. 6 includes giveaways and other fun features, he said. They're just as eager as local Crumbl fans to see those doors swing open. The store will be open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays, and 8 a.m. to 12 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Closed Sundays.

"We worked tirelessly trying to get this thing done, everything’s finished, it’s 100 percent finished, the store looks great," he said.

Founded in 2017, Crumbl Cookies now has more nearly 700 stores throughout over 40 states.