Cinnabon rolls out sweet bakery innovations year-round
The chain fuels consumer cravings around the holidays and throughout the year.
Many Americans who grew up in cities and suburban areas spent much of their youth in malls. Those members of Gen X and other sets may remember the cinnamon-scented air of their local shopping center, courtesy of the Cinnabon restaurants nestled in or near the food court. Those stores remain, but the bakery-focused company has grown since those days, with the Cinnabon name (and that familiar smell) appearing in locations across the country.
We chatted with Urvi Patel, senior vice president of brands and chief brand officer of Cinnabon, to dive into the foodservice bakery chain’s history, recent introductions, and plans for future innovations.
Jenni Spinner: Could you please share a bit about Cinnabon’s history—how it got started, how you’ve grown, etc.?
Urvi Patel: Cinnabon started in 1985 as a small bakery in Seattle, with one simple goal: to make the world’s most irresistible cinnamon roll. Our commitment to quality, craft, and genuine hospitality quickly became the foundation of our brand. As of September 28, 2025, there are more than 2,100 bakery locations around the world and a strong but growing presence in consumer-packaged goods and international markets. But through all that growth, our focus remains the same: bringing moments of joy to people through delicious products and friendly service.
As part of the GoTo Foods family (which includes brands like Auntie Anne’s, Jamba, Schlotzsky’s, McAlister’s Deli, Moe’s Southwest Grill, and Carvel) we benefit from shared innovation and resources that help our franchisees thrive, all while staying true to our core values.
JS: Following that, I think I share with a lot of consumers the habit of making Cinnabon part of my visits to malls and airports—could you please talk about Cinnabon’s position in those locales, and how the brand’s strategy has evolved over the years?
UP: Malls and airports have played a huge role in Cinnabon’s growth. Their high foot traffic and that unmistakable Cinnabon aroma created a natural engine for impulse purchases. And while those venues are still important, we’ve expanded well beyond them. Today, we’re growing through streetside development and co-branding with our sister brands like Auntie Anne’s. That lets us bring Cinnabon closer to where people live and work and tap into real GoTo Foods platform company synergies. Whether someone wants a warm cinnamon roll, a pretzel or something cold and sweet, we’re showing up in more moments that matter.
Our digital platform helps tie that all together, giving guests a seamless and personalized experience across every touchpoint. And operationally, the shared systems behind the scenes help us scale those experiences efficiently and consistently. At the end of the day, the goal is simple: meet guests wherever they are—traveling, shopping or relaxing at home—by adapting with the times and keeping the brand relevant.
JS: Around the 2025 winter holidays, Cinnabon marked another season—could you please tell us about “JollyBon” and what that means for the company?
UP: JollyBon is what we call our big five-week holiday rush—the Super Bowl of the year for us! During this time, Cinnabon bakeries see sales jump approximately 40% above baseline, especially on Black Friday and during Christmas week. It’s a huge deal, both emotionally and operationally, for everyone involved.
A central feature of the season is the transformation of CinnaPacks, our signature bakery boxes, from their iconic Cinnabon teal color to a festive, holiday-inspired red. These special boxes, especially the 4-Pack Minis and 9-Pack Classics, become holiday staples and make up the majority of Cinnabon’s Christmas Eve sales.
Preparing for JollyBon means collaborating closely with franchisees. Months in advance, operators attend regional planning sessions where they analyze prior-year performance, daypart trends, and “Sales per Roll” data. We hold 10 to 20 of these sessions each year across the country, and every operator walks in with their numbers and walks out with a precise, roll-by-roll operating plan. We also share a detailed JollyBon playbook that guides everything from inventory forecasting and production protocols to storage optimization, staffing models, and operational pacing.
Bakeries often stay open longer, bring on seasonal staff and use our “five-to-one” production system to keep things fresh and moving and some even run extended 24- to 36-hour shifts during peak demand! All of this is about staying efficient and making sure our guests have a great experience. It’s a real example of how disciplined systems and a lot of heart work together—high-volume precision that still feels incredibly warm and personal for our guests.
JS: Then, could you please tell us about recent seasonal innovations in the Apple Crumble lineup (and any other product or special formats you’d like to share)?
UP: We introduced a delicious Apple Crumble lineup that was available for a limited time, with new holiday-inspired treats like Apple Crumble Topped Bons. They’re made with our classic dough, loaded with cinnamon-spiced apples, and finished off with our famous frosting.
These innovations were developed within the GoTo Foods shared culinary innovation lab, which enables our brand teams to collaborate, test, and scale new products with consistency and speed. The lab leverages collective expertise across our seven brands, giving us access to sensory testing, equipment assessments, and cross-brand insights that help us create products guests genuinely love.
And it’s not just about Apple Crumble—we’ve also brought back seasonal classics like Caramel Pecan. The goal is to balance trending seasonal flavors with operational simplicity so our bakery teams can execute flawlessly during the busiest time of year.
Courtesy of CinnabonJS: Then, you’ve come up with a very fun way to extend the brand with your LTO scented wrapping paper—please tell us about that.
UP: You know how the smell of Cinnabon hits you the moment you walk by? That delicious aroma is one of the most potent and recognizable sensory signatures in food retail. With our limited-edition Cinnabon-scented wrapping paper, we’re bringing that signature experience right into your holiday celebrations, beyond the bakery. Now, you can literally wrap your gifts in that sweet scent!
This fun idea is all about the "giftable food' trend, letting our fans add some joy, and a little bit of Cinnabon magic, to their holiday traditions. Scent is such a strong memory cue, so it instantly taps into nostalgia and emotions in a way few things can.
And on the business side, this special offer gets people chatting on social media and fuels organic word-of-mouth. So, it’s not just a cute idea. It’s a clever way to strengthen our brand and make a real impact.
JS: What’s next for Cinnabon—if you have any interesting retail partnerships/innovations in the works, fun plans for future offerings in your bakeries, etc., please let me know.
UP: Looking ahead, our focus is to continue strengthening Cinnabon’s status as the leader in premium indulgence by expanding through new channels and experiences. Our strategy focuses on innovative products, seasonal flavors, shareable formats, and fresh takes on classics. We’re enhancing our ‘giftable joy’ platform with new holiday programs, packaging, and sensory-driven extensions.
By leveraging GoTo Foods’ unified platform company resources, we’ll strengthen personalization, loyalty and cross-brand engagement. We’re also always looking for new retail and licensing opportunities so guests can enjoy Cinnabon through grocery, at-home baking, and new foodservice categories. Operational excellence will help franchisees optimize operations using data-driven planning and enterprise technology. At the end of the day, we ground everything in thoughtful preparation and genuine hospitality; that blend of discipline and heart is what consistently drives excellence across our system.
Ultimately, everything we do is rooted in a singular purpose: creating craveable experiences that spark genuine moments of joy. That commitment will continue to guide our strategy and shape the future of Cinnabon.
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