What are 'Goods' as defined by Cinnabon, that franchisees must purchase according to specifications?
Cinnabon Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
ees for any of these items. The availability and terms of financing will depend on factors like the availability of financing generally, your credit worthiness, collateral you pledge, policies of your lending institution, and economic conditions in your area.
ITEM 8
RESTRICTIONS ON SOURCES OF PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
Required Purchases. We have the right to require that Approved Products, other products, Proprietary Ingredients, supplies (including chemicals), furniture, fixtures, equipment, and services (collectively, "Goods") that you purchase for resale or purchase or lease for use in your Bakery: (i) meet specifications that we establish from time to time; (ii) be a specific brand, kind, or model; (iii) be purchased or leased only from Approved Suppliers; (iv) be purchased or leased only from a single source that we designate (which may include us or our affiliates or a buying cooperative organized by us or our affiliates); and/or (v) be purchased as part of a purchasing program, arrangement, or contract that we negotiate or specify. We may add or change Approved Suppliers at any time.
You must purchase all of your requirements of Proprietary Ingredients, Proprietary Products, and proprietary uniforms, signs, menu boards, smallwares, materials, supplies, paper goods, equipment, and packaging (collectively, the "Proprietary Goods") from us, our affiliates, or our designated Approved Suppliers. The Proprietary Goods include printed paper, paper products, and plastic products bearing our Proprietary Marks (including, for example, dishes, containers,
cartons, bags, napkins, and packaging supplies). We may require you to purchase certain trademarked product lines consisting of t-shirts, apparel, mugs, and other merchandise and products bearing the Proprietary Marks ("Trademarked Product Lines") from us, our affiliates, or our designated Approved Suppliers. In addition, if we conduct test marketing to determine consumer trends and the salability of new food or non-food products and services, you may be required to purchase a reasonable quantity of test products we specify from designated Approved Suppliers.
For any proposed site, we may require you to obtain a site selection analysis from an Approved Supplier, which may include an analysis of such factors as traffic patterns, demographics and competitors within the market. As you design and construct your Bakery, you must hire an architect that we accept in writing to prepare your plans and make any necessary changes to our standard layout and specifications.
Source: Item 8 — Restrictions on Sources of Products and Services (FDD pages 59–63)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Cinnabon's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, "Goods" are defined as Approved Products, other products, Proprietary Ingredients, supplies (including chemicals), furniture, fixtures, equipment, and services that franchisees purchase for resale or for use in their Bakeries. Cinnabon has the right to require that these Goods meet certain specifications, be a specific brand, kind, or model, be purchased or leased only from Approved Suppliers, be purchased or leased only from a single source that Cinnabon designates, or be purchased as part of a purchasing program. Cinnabon may add or change Approved Suppliers at any time.
Cinnabon franchisees must purchase all Proprietary Ingredients, Proprietary Products, and proprietary uniforms, signs, menu boards, smallwares, materials, supplies, paper goods, equipment, and packaging (collectively, the "Proprietary Goods") from Cinnabon, its affiliates, or its designated Approved Suppliers. These Proprietary Goods include printed paper, paper products, and plastic products bearing Cinnabon's Proprietary Marks, such as dishes, containers, cartons, bags, napkins, and packaging supplies. Franchisees may also be required to purchase certain trademarked product lines consisting of t-shirts, apparel, mugs, and other merchandise and products bearing the Proprietary Marks from Cinnabon, its affiliates, or its designated Approved Suppliers.
Cinnabon estimates that purchases from Approved Suppliers and under its Standards will be about 85% of the total purchases and leases needed to establish a Bakery and about 90% of the total purchases and leases needed to operate a Bakery. This means a significant portion of a franchisee's expenses will be dictated by Cinnabon's approved vendors and standards. Cinnabon may change these specifications or quality Standards at any time, generally uniformly for all franchisees, and will make these changes available electronically or otherwise in writing. Franchisees are also generally required to purchase most of the components of the Computer System that Cinnabon specifies from Approved Suppliers, including the POS System and certain software like the Learning Management System.