An Obituary for Crumbs Cupcakes

Did you get a chance to purchase one last Good Guy cupcake before the doors of Crumbs Cupcakes closed forever?  This past Monday, the high-end cupcake chain served customers for the last time before a nationwide shutdown of its 48 stores.  This shutdown includes the Crumbs’ Woodbury branch formerly located in Woodbury Commons.  There are a number of reasons why Crumbs could not stay in business, including increased competition and the high prices of its goods.  But for Madeleine Berg, owner of SuperNutritionist, the cause seems to be rooted in the decline of the cupcake and sweet craze that swept the nation.  Is she right?  Does the public really not care that they can no longer purchase delectable creations from Crumbs?

Berg and her SuperNutritionist interns set out to poll some town residents on their reactions regarding the closing of Crumbs’ Woodbury store.  The responses were lackluster; one resident commented with “I don’t really care [about the store closing]…but my kids might!”  Another resident “never really got into the cupcakes.”  In fact, more residents complained about the loss of non-sweet stores in the Woodbury Commons area, particularly Moe’s.  But people do recognize that the failure of any business is something to mourn.  The only resident that expressed direct sadness about Crumbs’ closing was not upset about her inability to buy cupcakes, but she feels “for the workers who are out of jobs.”

Why does it seem like the SuperNutritionist is the only one that is truly upset about Crumbs’ closing?  It could be that there is indeed a decline in peoples’ desires for high-end sweets.  Berg, however, chooses to mourn the loss of Crumbs because she feels that if people stop eating Crumbs, they may not need to come to a nutritionist for dietary advice.  Maybe she is right, and there is a gluten-free health kick spreading throughout the Syosset-Woodbury area.  Let us hope Berg’s business does not suffer the same fate as Crumbs due to a newfound healthy eating trend.  But for now, the SuperNutritionist pays her respects to the once-popular Crumbs Cupcakes.  Rest in peace, Good Guy.