Can Cinnabon change the specifications of Approved Products periodically?
Cinnabon Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
You may offer in the Bakery to customers only the Approved Products that we have approved in writing. You must produce and sell all Approved Products we specify, including all menu items, Trademarked Product Lines, and other products and services that we require you to sell, as stated in the Manuals or otherwise, which are all part of the System. We may change these specifications periodically, without limitation, and we may designate specific Approved Products as optional or mandatory. You must offer all Approved Products that we designate as mandatory. If we require or authorize you to sell alcoholic beverages, you must obtain any necessary permits or licenses. You must maintain a sufficient supply of required Approved Products to meet the inventory standards we prescribe in the Manuals (or to meet reasonably anticipated customer demand, if we have not prescribed specific standards).
You may not use the Bakery or the Accepted Location to produce or sell any goods, products, or services other than Approved Products sold using the Marks. You may not produce or offer any products (i) that we do not authorize you to produce or sell or (ii) that we direct you not to produce or sell. You may sell Approved Products only in the varieties, forms, and packages that we have approved. If we require you to produce any Approved Products, you must strictly follow our Recipes, using only those product components, ingredients, flavoring, and garnishes that meet our then-current Standards. In dispensing the Approved Products, you may use only containers, cartons, bags, boxes, napkins, and other paper goods and packaging bearing our then-currently approved text and designs, and that otherwise meet our then-current requirements, specifications, and quality standards.
Source: Item 16 — Restrictions on What the Franchisee May Sell (FDD pages 91–93)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Cinnabon's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, Cinnabon has the right to modify the specifications of Approved Products periodically. Cinnabon also has the authority to designate specific Approved Products as either optional or mandatory for franchisees. This means that Cinnabon can change the ingredients, recipes, or standards for products sold at the franchise.
As a franchisee, you are required to offer all Approved Products that Cinnabon designates as mandatory. You are prohibited from producing or selling any products that Cinnabon has not authorized or has directed you not to sell. Furthermore, you can only sell Approved Products in the varieties, forms, and packages that Cinnabon has approved. If Cinnabon requires you to produce any Approved Products, you must strictly adhere to their Recipes, using only the product components, ingredients, flavoring, and garnishes that meet their current Standards.
These stipulations give Cinnabon significant control over the products sold at its franchises, ensuring brand consistency and quality control. However, it also means that franchisees must be prepared to adapt to changes in product specifications and offerings, which could potentially impact costs, inventory management, and customer preferences. Franchisees should maintain open communication with Cinnabon to stay informed about any upcoming changes and understand the rationale behind them.