Franchise Focus

Why 2022 is 'one sweet year' for Cinnaholic

Although 2022 is only half-baked, Cinnaholic is cooking with gas, opening 11 locations, with an additional 15 projected to open by year's end. This year's openings have contributed to a nearly 16% sales increase in the U.S. and a 43% increase in Canada.

provided

June 21, 2022 by Cherryh Cansler — Editor, FastCasual.com

Although 2022 is only half-baked, Cinnaholic is cooking with gas, opening 11 locations, with an additional 15 projected to open by December. This year's openings have already contributed to nearly a 16% sales increase in the U.S. and a 43% increase in Canada, said LeAnne Cavallaro, VP of operations at Cinnaholic.

"We're in a very unique position as a plant-based cinnamon roll concept — the demand for vegan desserts is very much alive and well and we're able to fulfill that, not only for people who eat a vegan diet but also for people who may have dietary restrictions due to allergies," she told FastCasual.

That niche has helped the vegan bakery come out strong in 2022; it has 35 agreements in the works and 10 signed leases in the early stages of development as well as a new DoorDash partnership.

"We are not slowing down anytime soon, and are looking forward to growing our brand with operators who have the same passion for providing a better dessert to residents across North America," Cavallaro said. "Cinnaholic is consistently embraced by new communities, so we look forward to more fans joining in on the love affair this year."

The Atlanta-based brand has also been busy developing ways to engage customers, including creating seasonal LTOs, such as this summer's Shake, Rattle & Roll; the Very Berry Roll for the winter, and the Blueberry Blitz and Razzle Dazzle Rolls as well as a magic cookie bar for spring. The company has also introduced more customizable options for all dessert items and added banana bread bites as an option for party trays. Since January, the seasonal menu items have contributed $285,000 in systemwide sales.

"LTOs and promotions are something that Cinnaholic simply does the best — we find joy in keeping the menu fresh for our customers, and giving them more reasons to keep coming back for more gourmet treats," Cavallaro said. "Trust me, this summer we have a lot on deck to make for one of Cinnaholic's best LTOs yet. We will also continue to provide our customers with exciting promotions to fill their sweet-tooth needs."

Getting sweeter

Cinnaholic, which has over 70 locations and is on a mission to expand its sweet offerings to Florida, Ohio, New York and Northern Virginia, is seeking multi-unit operators. Its flexible business model works well in upscale lifestyle centers, major city centers and near college campuses, according to Cavallaro, who said a contributor to franchisee's success is the company's small footprint (around 1,000 square feet) as well as low startup, food and labor costs.

"Fortunately the operation of our bakeries doesn't require a massive amount of manpower, but in different instances staffing can certainly be difficult, Cavallaro said. "Our franchise partners are constantly sharing tactics with each other and sharing what works in their markets."

When it comes to attracting employees, the team relies on social media to promote hiring ads and has added messaging to its online ordering websites.

"We talk about retention a lot, too," she said. "Being fully staffed is only part of the equation — training and continuous coaching will lead to productivity and then the fun part is celebrating your team's hard work. Find ways to show your team they're appreciated. We have seen so many great examples of this across our system."

Cavallaro also refuses to let supply chain issues hold back progress.

"Overcoming this obstacle is not an easy one, but with the help of our vendors we're planning ahead as much as possible to ease the stress this causes for our franchise partners and customers," she said. "Unfortunately suppliers are dealing with labor shortages in the same sense that restaurants are. We continue to explore, test and approve suitable alternative ingredients for our recipes and rely on multiple food distributors to meet our needs."

About Cherryh Cansler

---

Cherryh Cansler is VP of Events for Networld Media Group and publisher of FastCasual.com. She has been covering the restaurant industry since 2012. Her byline has appeared in Forbes, The Kansas City Star and American Fitness magazine, among many others.

Connect with Cherryh:

More From Franchise FocusMore

---