News

Cinnabon marks its Moroccan debut

February 6, 2014

Cinnabon Inc. has opened its first location in Morocco at the Anfa Place Shopping Center in Casablanca.

According to a news release, the bakery is under ownership of Marina Group, headed by franchisee Samer Marina. Marina helped introduce the Cinnabon brand in Syria for the first time in 2012. Plans call for a second Moroccan location in Casablanca to be opened within the next six to seven months.

"We are thrilled to further expand the Cinnabon footprint in North Africa so we can share our delicious cinnamon rolls with a Moroccan population that is entirely new to our brand and core product," said Mike Shattuck, president of FOCUS Brands International, which handles overseas expansion for Cinnabon. "International consumer demand for Cinnabon products remains high and we're eager to continue partnering with experienced franchisees like Samer Marina and penetrate untapped markets."

The Cinnabon brand has a growing presence in North Africa with 24 locations in Egypt, two in Libya and plans to further develop in Morocco and expand into Tunisia. Overall, there are more than 1,000 Cinnabon locations in 55 countries.

Overseas expansion will remain a central growth initiative for the foreseeable future, Shattuck said, and Cinnabon is currently seeking franchisees in North African countries, Korea, Taiwan, Brazil, Spain, France and Germany.

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