What agreements must I sign to operate a Cinnabon Carvel Co-Branded Bakery with Cinnabon?
Cinnabon Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
- A "Carvel 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 Carvel® franchise system. In order to operate a Carvel 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 a Carvel® franchise from Carvel and sign a Carvel® franchise agreement and co-branded schedule with Carvel. The terms of the Carvel® franchise offering, franchise agreement, and related agreements that Carvel will require you to sign are disclosed in the Carvel® Disclosure Document, which you must obtain from Carvel. We will not grant you the right to operate a Carvel Co-Branded Bakery, unless Carvel agrees to offer you a Carvel® franchise and to permit the franchise to be operated at a co-branded location.
- A "Swirl Bakery" is a Carvel Co-Branded Bakery that operates under the Cinnabon Swirl™ mark and trade dress and offers a unique menu that offers traditional Carvel® and Cinnabon® products in addition to hybrid menu items that combine products and ingredients from both brands. In order to operate a Swirl Bakery, you must (i) purchase a Cinnabon® franchise from us, sign a Franchise Agreement with us, and sign the Swirl Bakery Schedule, which is attached as Exhibit C to this Disclosure Document (the "Swirl Bakery Schedule") and (ii) purchase a Carvel® franchise from Carvel and sign a Carvel® franchise agreement and Swirl schedule with Carvel. The terms of the Carvel® franchise offering, franchise agreement, and related agreements that Carvel will require you to sign are disclosed in the Carvel® Disclosure Document, which you must obtain from Carvel. We will not grant you the right to operate a Swirl Bakery, unless Carvel agrees to offer you a Carvel® franchise and to permit the franchise to be operated as a Swirl location. Unless otherwise noted, all references to Co-Branded Bakeries in this Disclosure Document apply to Swirl Bakeries.
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 Carvel Co-Branded Bakery, you must first purchase a Cinnabon franchise. As part of this, you are required to sign a Franchise Agreement with Cinnabon and also sign the Co-Branded Bakery Schedule, which is attached as Exhibit C to the FDD. In addition to these agreements with Cinnabon, you must also purchase a Carvel franchise from Carvel. This requires signing a Carvel franchise agreement and co-branded schedule with Carvel.
It is important to note that the specific terms of the Carvel franchise, including the franchise agreement and any related agreements, are detailed in the Carvel Disclosure Document, which you must obtain directly from Carvel. Cinnabon will not grant you the right to operate a Carvel Co-Branded Bakery unless Carvel agrees to offer you a Carvel franchise and permits it to be operated at a co-branded location. This means that your ability to open a co-branded location is contingent on approval from both Cinnabon and Carvel.
For a Cinnabon Swirl Bakery, which operates under the Cinnabon Swirl mark and offers a hybrid menu, the requirements are similar. You must purchase a Cinnabon franchise, sign the Franchise Agreement, and sign the Swirl Bakery Schedule (Exhibit C). Additionally, you need to purchase a Carvel franchise and sign a Carvel franchise agreement and Swirl schedule with Carvel. Again, Cinnabon will not grant you the right to operate a Swirl Bakery unless Carvel agrees to offer you a Carvel franchise and permits the franchise to be operated as a Swirl location. The FDD states that unless otherwise noted, all references to Co-Branded Bakeries in the document apply to Swirl Bakeries as well.