Customer refuses to return to south Charlotte Crumbl Cookies after hair dye video

CHARLOTTE — A video captured a Crumbl Cookies employee dyeing another employee’s hair near a food preparation area at the South Kings Drive location.

The incident came to light after William Baker recorded the scene earlier this week. The company, Crumbl Cookies, issued a statement indicating immediate action was taken.

Crumbl Cookies stated, “The conduct shown is unacceptable and does not reflect Crumbl’s standards. Upon learning of the incident, we immediately closed the store, discarded all dough on site, brought in a professional cleaning crew, and took appropriate action with the employees involved.”

ALSO READ: Move over cookies, Crumbl is testing doughnuts

Baker, the witness who recorded the video, expressed his astonishment at what he saw. “That’s just something you can’t make up. And I think that’s what made me pull my phone out,” Baker said.

Baker, a regular customer at the Crumbl Cookies location since its opening in 2023, voiced concerns about past visits.

He questioned, “How many times have I eaten cookies that might not have been sanitized, been clean? How many times have I been there and that happened, and I didn’t know it?” Baker stated he will not be returning to the store.

Chef Rhonda Stewart, a professor at Johnson and Wales University who teaches classes on sanitation and safety, weighed in on the implications of the incident.

She explained that hair dye is a toxic chemical. “The hair dye is a toxic chemical, and that can lead to cross-contamination,” Stewart said.

Stewart also highlighted the importance of customer trust in food businesses.

“Seeing something egregiously wrong as this would certainly affect my faith in that company to provide safe food,” she said, adding that it is difficult for businesses to regain customer trust once it is lost.

Store representatives said the location was closed temporarily and a thorough cleaning took place. It officially reopened on Tuesday.

However, Baker remained firm in his decision not to return. “I’m glad they did; they took some kind of action. But it’s not enough to make me want to go back there,” Baker said.

The North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services reported their first inspection of the store took place in 2025. They were not aware of the video until it was sent to them.

The department also said it will be following up with an inspection at the Crumbl Cookies location. However, it did not specify when the new inspection will take place.