Bake with Cinnabon

Rich Komen first opened Cinnabon in a Washington mall in 1985. Rich wanted to create a high-quality Nordic cinnamon roll that cooked quickly. The secret ingredient that pioneered Cinnabon’s success was their ‘Korintje cinnamon’ from West Sumatra. The buns became a success both in taste and profitability. Following the success of Rich’s inaugural store, his son decided to open six more stores the following year. The company has expanded over three decades into an internationally renowned franchisor with 1,200 outlets in 48 countries.

Cinnabon in the US is now co-owned by Focus Brands and has their headquarters in Sandy Springs, Georgia. In the UK, Cinnabon is owned by the petrol forecourt giant, EG Group. In 2020, EG Group penned a deal to open 150 stores over the next five years. In the last two years the group has opened 24 stores across England – and are on the lookout for new franchisees across the region.

Their freshly made Cinnabon dough is produced from scratch at a central kitchen in Frontier Park, Blackburn, and distributed daily to Cinnabon stores within EG Group locations. The dough will then be hand-rolled and baked in store. The state-of-the art production facility will support up to 50 stores with daily deliveries of fresh dough. The Cinnabon roll-out is said to generate up to 2,000 jobs nationwide. 

“Cinnabon is a well-recognised and enjoyed brand,” said EG Group’s Food & Beverage Director for Europe, Mohammed Tayab. “We are delighted to be able to serve our UK customers with delicious, freshly baked products when they want to treat themselves. EG Group has once again partnered with another global brand, bringing the ultimate convenience to customers.”

Sean Wooden, Vice President and Managing Director at Focus Brands EUMEA, added: “We are delighted to be returning to the UK to deliver our Cinnabon product to our UK fans. Focus Brands International has been working closely with the team at EG Group to be able to deliver the world’s most famous cinnamon roll and provide a moment of sweet escape for UK residents and travellers,” he said.

The Cinnabon franchise network is widly recognised. Among the accolades it has been awarded include being ranked #1 in Entrepreneur magazine’s Franchise 500 and in CNN’s Best Franchises.

The company is dedicated to new ideas and evolving the brand. For example, Cinnabon announced last week a new delivery service for their “Cinnafans.” The newly launched service covers mainland UK and allows customers to receive their goods within 48 hours for all orders placed before 9pm. Customers can securely order ‘Cinnapacks’ of two, four or six of their favourite flavours including the Classic, Chocobon, Caramel Pecanbon and limited-edition Lotus Biscoff Bon with further items to be added in due course.

With a rich history, unique offering, and roots in franchising, Cinnabon has grown to be the brand success and business opportunity it is today. The company is constantly open to negotiations for new franchisees. In the UK, a Cinnabon franchise will require an initial investment of £23,000 and a total investment of £139,200. Aside from initial costs, there is an ongoing royalty fee of 6 per cent of net sales and an advertising fee of between 1.5 per cent and 3 per cent of net sales.

FRANCHISE UNITS

• Over 1,200 stores operate across 48 countries
• United Kingdom currently has 24

SUPPORT FOR THE FRANCHISE

• Hands-on training
• Classroom instruction
• Online training tools
• Targeted marketing plans
• Access to Cinnabon’s corporate management team and analytics

BASIC NETWORK REQUIREMENTS

• Previous experience in the food service industry preferred
• Size and store locations are negotiable

KEY FIGURES

• Initial investment: £23,000
• Total investment: £139,200
• Ongoing royalty fee: 6% net sales
• Advertising fee: 1.5%-3% net sales.
• Franchise term: 5 years (for express bakeries)
• Franchise term: 20 years (full bakeries)