What agreements must I sign to operate a Cinnabon Auntie Anne's Co-Branded Bakery with Cinnabon?
Cinnabon Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
- An "Auntie Anne's Co-Branded Bakery" is a Full Bakery where you produce and sell a range of Cinnabon® products in conjunction with those products authorized to be sold
under the Auntie Anne's® franchise system. In order to operate an Auntie Anne's Co-Branded Bakery, you must (i) purchase a Cinnabon® franchise from us, sign a Franchise Agreement with us, and sign the Co-Branded Bakery Schedule, which is attached as Exhibit C to this Disclosure Document (the "Co-Branded Bakery Schedule") and (ii) purchase an Auntie Anne's® franchise from Auntie Anne's and sign an Auntie Anne's® franchise agreement and co-branded schedule with Auntie Anne's. The terms of the Auntie Anne's® franchise offering, franchise agreement, and related agreements that Auntie Anne's will require you to sign are disclosed in the Auntie Anne's® Disclosure Document, which you must obtain from Auntie Anne's. We will not grant you the right to operate an Auntie Anne's Co-Branded Bakery, unless Auntie Anne's agrees to offer you an Auntie Anne's® franchise and to permit the franchise to be operated at a co-branded location.
Source: Item 1 — The Franchisor and any Parents, Predecessors, and Affiliates (FDD pages 9–25)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to the 2025 Cinnabon FDD, to operate a Cinnabon Auntie Anne's Co-Branded Bakery, you must first purchase a Cinnabon franchise. As part of this, you will need to sign a Franchise Agreement with Cinnabon, as well as the Co-Branded Bakery Schedule, which is attached as Exhibit C to the Disclosure Document. You must also purchase an Auntie Anne's franchise from Auntie Anne's and sign their franchise agreement and co-branded schedule.
Cinnabon will not grant you the right to operate an Auntie Anne's Co-Branded Bakery unless Auntie Anne's agrees to offer you an Auntie Anne's franchise and to permit the franchise to be operated at a co-branded location. The terms of the Auntie Anne's franchise offering, franchise agreement, and related agreements that Auntie Anne's will require you to sign are disclosed in the Auntie Anne's Disclosure Document, which you must obtain from Auntie Anne's.
This means that operating a co-branded location requires approval and agreements from both Cinnabon and Auntie Anne's. Prospective franchisees should carefully review both franchise disclosure documents to understand the obligations and responsibilities to each franchisor. This co-branding arrangement adds complexity compared to a single-brand franchise, as you must satisfy the requirements of two separate franchise systems.