When did Arby's become an affiliate of Cinnabon through acquisition?
Cinnabon Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
Arby's is a franchisor of quick-serve restaurants operating under the Arby's® trade name and business system that feature slow-roasted, freshly sliced roasted beef and other deli-style sandwiches. In July 2011, Arby's became an Affiliated Program through an acquisition. Arby's has been franchising since 1965. Predecessors and former affiliates of Arby's have, in the past, offered franchises for other restaurant concepts including T.J. Cinnamons® stores that served gourmet baked goods. All of the T.J. Cinnamons locations have closed. As of December 29, 2024, there were 3,365 Arby's restaurants operating in the United States (2,286 franchised and 1,079 company-owned), including one multi-brand location. Additionally, as of December 29, 2024, there were 231 single-branded franchised Arby's restaurants operating internationally.
Source: Item 1 — The Franchisor and any Parents, Predecessors, and Affiliates (FDD pages 9–25)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Cinnabon's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, Arby's became an affiliated program in July 2011 through an acquisition. However, the document states that none of the affiliated programs operate a Cinnabon franchise.
This means that while Arby's and Cinnabon are under the same umbrella through affiliated programs, they operate independently. This is a common structure in franchising, where a parent company owns multiple franchise brands.
Prospective Cinnabon franchisees should understand that while there may be some synergies or shared resources at the parent company level, the day-to-day operations of a Cinnabon franchise are separate from those of an Arby's franchise. The affiliation primarily impacts the overall corporate structure rather than the individual franchise level.