In 1985, Rich & Greg Komen of Restaurants Unlimited wanted to create “the world’s greatest Cinnamon roll” for a new concept they were developing. They hired a food maven Jerilyn Brusseau, and after 3months and hundreds of kitchen experiments, the team perfected the Cinnabon® recipe. In just two decades, the Cinnabon brand has grown into a worldwide phenomenon with unparalleled crave appeal.
Cinnabon Inc opened its first bakery on the 5th of December 1985, at Sea Tac Mall in Seattle and served Cinnabon Classic® cinnamon rolls to thousands of guests eagerly waiting to indulge themselves.
In order to make the world’s greatest cinnamon rolls, Cinnabon buyers travelled the spice-growing regions of the globe to find the best, most flavourful cinnamon. They finally discovered cassia trees high up in the mountains of Indonesia and used the bark to create the legendary Makara® Cinnamon. This special spice is carefully prepared, using an exclusive temperature-controlled grinding process, which preserves the precious volatile oils and enhances the warm, sweet cinnamon aroma and taste.
Guests fell in love with the smell and flavour of the Cinnabon classic cinnamon roll, and the company began expanding its menu in the late 1987 with the Minibon®, a smaller version of the Classic Roll. In 1988, Cinnabon launched its first proprietary beverage, the MochaLatta Chill®, which remains one of the most popular products on the menu. Following the success of these items, Cinnabon continued to broaden its offerings by introducing the Caramel Pecanbon®, CarmeLatta Chills®, CinnaPacks® and more recently the Chillattas™ line of frozen blended beverages and Cinnabon Bites™, bite size treat.
The first franchised bakery opened in 1986 in a suburb of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at King Prussia Mall. Today, Cinnabon operates more than 650 franchised bakeries in over 30 countries worldwide, with the first franchise in South Africa opening in Menlyn Shopping Centre, Pretoria in December 2005. Franchises are primarily opened in high traffic venues such as Shopping Malls, Airports, Train Stations and travel plaza’s. From Bahrain to Venezuela and just about everywhere in-between, the aroma, quality, and freshness of Cinnabon products never change. And thanks to the brands extensive line of indulgent treats, Cinnabon “WOWs” guests and regularly earns well-deserved attention.
- Named the #1 restaurant chain in the USA by an ePinions® online poll
- Deemed one of the Top 50 Pleasures in life by Expansion Magazine, the most influential business publication in Mexico
- Proclaimed the #5 Top sugary Seduction by the Food Network
- Dubbed “To [heck] with everything” by comedian Jerry Seinfeld: “Cinnabon. Do you like Cinnabon? It should be called to [heck] with everything. I don’t even want to eat it. I just want to smash it into my face. I don’t want to buy it. I want to marry it. This is my wife Cinnabon”
Although Jerry Seinfeld hasn’t officially pledged his vows to Cinnabon, one Rock hill, South Carolina groom professed his love for his wife in 1999 by ordering the Worlds tallest Cinnabon for their wedding cake. This blissful indulgence towered nearly four feet tall, weighed 105 pounds (including 40 pounds of dough, 35 pounds of Makara Cinnamon, 20 pounds of margarine, and 10 pounds of cream cheese), and used 200 Cinnabon classic rolls. Broadcasts of the cakes constructions aired on CNN and local TV Stations, reaching nearly 75 million viewers.
Roark Capital Group purchased Cinnabon in November 2004, and combined this brand with Carvel Corporation and Seattle’s Best Coffee to form FOCUS Brands Inc®. Playing on its strong history and mystique, Cinnabon plans to capitalize on its outstanding brand recognition and customer loyalty, and continue expanding its following beyond the walls of the mall. In a world of passing fads, a fresh-baked Cinnabon cinnamon roll is an old-fashioned reward that, along with the company’s other indulgences, remains one of life’s greatest pleasures.