Are current or former Cinnabon franchisees sometimes restricted from openly discussing their experiences with the company?
Cinnabon Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
scal year; or those franchises who did not communicate with us within 10 weeks of the date of this Disclosure Document.
If you buy this franchise, your contact information may be disclosed to other buyers when you leave the System.
Confidentiality Clauses
As a standard practice, when we enter into a Termination and Release Agreement with a former franchisee, we require the former franchisee to agree to maintain all information that the former franchisee has about us confidential. We have entered into these Termination and Release Agreements (including the confidentiality clause) within the past three years.
Source: Item 20 — Outlets and Franchisee Information (FDD pages 104–113)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Cinnabon's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, there are instances where current and former franchisees are restricted from openly discussing their experiences with the company. As a standard practice, Cinnabon requires former franchisees to maintain confidentiality about information they have regarding Cinnabon when entering into a Termination and Release Agreement. These agreements, including the confidentiality clauses, have been implemented within the past three years.
This means that a prospective Cinnabon franchisee may not be able to get completely candid feedback from all current and former franchisees due to these restrictions. The FDD explicitly advises that potential franchisees should be aware that not all current and former franchisees will be able to communicate openly about their experiences.
It is common for franchise agreements to include confidentiality clauses to protect the franchisor's proprietary information and business practices. However, these clauses can limit a prospective franchisee's ability to conduct thorough due diligence by speaking with current and former franchisees. Therefore, it is crucial for potential Cinnabon franchisees to understand the scope and implications of these confidentiality agreements and to seek information from a variety of sources to make an informed decision.