Is a Cinnabon franchisee required to sell all menu items specified by Cinnabon?
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).
Source: Item 16 — Restrictions on What the Franchisee May Sell (FDD pages 91–93)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to the 2025 Cinnabon Franchise Disclosure Document, franchisees are required to sell all menu items that Cinnabon specifies. The FDD states that franchisees must offer in their Bakeries only the products that Cinnabon has approved in writing, referred to as "Approved Products."
Specifically, Cinnabon requires franchisees to produce and sell all Approved Products that they specify, including all menu items, Trademarked Product Lines, and other products and services. These requirements are detailed in the manuals or other communications that are part of the Cinnabon system. Cinnabon retains the right to change these specifications periodically and can designate specific Approved Products as either optional or mandatory. However, franchisees must offer all Approved Products that Cinnabon designates as mandatory.
This means a Cinnabon franchisee has limited autonomy over their product offerings and must adhere to Cinnabon's standards. They must also maintain a sufficient supply of required Approved Products to meet inventory standards or reasonably anticipated customer demand. This ensures consistency across all Cinnabon locations and adherence to the brand's standards.