A Crumbl cookie pop-up store in North Bondi got influencers very excited. Then they were met with the ultimate disappointment after lining up in an hour-long queue

When TikTok influencers queued for over an hour to buy a cult American cookie at an ‘exclusive’ pop-up shop in Bondi this weekend, they didn’t expect to pay $17.50 per cookie .

And they didn’t know that the popular Crumbl brand cookies were “old” imports from the past, sold by fans who bought them from abroad – rather than an official branch of the popular American Crumbl Cookies company.

Foodies were outraged this weekend as they queued to buy imported biscuits at a so-called pop-up shop in North Bondi, marketed as ‘exclusive’ by a social media account called CrumblSydney.

But the account was run by fans, the sale was not approved by the US-based Crumbl Cookies brands and the cookies – flown in from Hawaii – were sold for as much as $75 for five cookies. A pack of four costs just $21 in the US.

“This looked like a scam, this is actually really bad,” said TikTok food critic Hamze.

“It’s so sweet, the texture is just weird, it’s so sugary — I feel like I’m just eating sugar.”

An Instagram account created by the pop-up’s organizers, with the handle Crumblaus, was banned from the platform, but its TikTok remains active.

It was there that organizers defended themselves against the fierce reactions on Tuesday and denied that the cookies were old.

Sydney TikTok food critic Hamze (pictured) said the cookies were “actually really bad.”

Customers queued for ‘hours’ to try the famous Crumbl biscuits but claimed the imported biscuits were ‘stale’ and ‘disappointing’ (pictured, queues in North Bondi on Sunday)

‘We have never claimed to be an official Crumbl store. This was clearly stated in the bio and our comments. Our goal was to bring authentic Crumbl cookies to Australia by importing the cookies directly from the US,” they said.

“We traveled to the US to purchase the cookies and imported them in their original packaging. We didn’t bake them ourselves.’

In response to allegations, organizers said the cookies were stale: ‘Crumbl cookies should be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to three days, or refrigerated for up to seven days.

‘We have held them to these requirements. Some were reheated to enhance the texture, which is what Crumbl does.”

The group then hit back at dozens of customers who slammed the pop-up.

“While most customers enjoyed the cookies, a few influencers felt they did not meet expectations,” they said.

‘We apologize for that [the cookies] Don’t meet expectations, but at the end of the day they’re just cookies.

Many customers were shocked to see the cookies being sold for $17.50 each, despite the same cookies being sold in packs of four for $21 in the US.

‘While there may be a slight difference in quality, some flavors may not appeal to some people. A lot of people have contacted us saying they were delicious and thanks for selling them.”

Elle, an influencer who shares snippets of her life as an “eastern suburbs mom,” shared her thoughts on the Crumbl pop-up after trying ten cookies.

In her clip, she and two others described the cookies as “disappointing” and said they looked like they were purchased “at a bake sale.”

Commenters under Elle’s review decried the “insane” price for “suitcase cookies” and wondered whether organizers could take legal action.

“As an American, not only am I sick because you have to pay a lot of money for old, stale cookies, but Crumbl is definitely overhyped!” said one.

“I have a feeling Crumbl is going to take legal action,” said another.

“This is nothing like Crumbl, they played you guys,” wrote another.

“I actually can’t believe it cost $17.50 for one cookie,” said another.

Organizers said they had met all legal requirements for the event and made very little profit from the pop-up.

“This event was never about profit,” they said.

“Our intention was to bring the cookies to Crumbl fans. Importing and reselling is called parallel import. Parallel import is legal.

‘We have followed all legal procedures, classified the cookies as commercial goods and obtained the necessary approvals from Australian Customs.

‘We hope this clears up any confusion. Thank you to those who supported us and gave us valuable feedback.”

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Crumbl for comment.