Franchising

Auntie Anne’s, Cinnabon sign 10-unit co-brand development agreement for NYC

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November 5, 2021

Auntie Anne's and Cinnabon are teaming up with franchise group Fresh Dining Concepts to bring 10 co-branded Auntie Anne's and Cinnabon locations to the five New York City boroughs over the next four years.

The agreement will help the brands accelerate ongoing efforts to become more accessible to guests by adding locations outside the traditional mall setting, according to a press release.

"We're looking to accelerate our multi-brand franchise development efforts in new and existing markets. Our insights are showing that guests want more convenience and are looking to access our brands in a variety of ways. Putting brands like Auntie Anne's and Cinnabon together makes them far more accessible than they would be individually," Brian Krause, chief development officer of Focus Brands, said in the release. "Partnering with an industry leader like Fresh Dining Concepts, who really understands the power and benefits of co-branding, gives us the chance to expand in priority markets like New York City."

"In recent years, we've seen strong consumer demand for brands like Auntie Anne's and Cinnabon to be more accessible outside of malls, so when the opportunity presented itself to grow our portfolio with street side co-brand locations, we immediately jumped onboard," Luis San Miguel, president and CEO of Fresh Dining Concepts, said in the release. "Auntie Anne's and Cinnabon are iconic brands that are similar from an operations standpoint and the menus complement each other very well. There's immense value in co-branding, not only from an operations and real estate perspective, but it's also becoming the guest's preference as a one-stop-shop for snacking, no matter their craving. Focus Brands' specialty brands are leading the way in this area and we're excited to work together to give our guests across the five boroughs more access to Auntie Anne's and Cinnabon."

Focus Brands, through its affiliate brands, is the franchisor and operator of more than 6,000 restaurants, cafes, ice cream shoppes, stores and bakeries in the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and over 50 foreign countries under the brand names Auntie Anne's, Carvel, Cinnabon, Jamba, Moe's Southwest Grill, McAlister's Deli and Schlotzsky's, as well as Seattle's Best Coffee on certain military bases and in certain international markets.

Auntie Anne's operates in 50 states and more than 28 countries.