Must I purchase a Carvel franchise to operate a Cinnabon Carvel Co-Branded Bakery?
Cinnabon Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
- A "Carvel Co-Branded Bakery" is a Full Bakery where you produce and sell a range of Cinnabon® products in conjunction with those products authorized to be sold under the Carvel® franchise system. In order to operate a Carvel Co-Branded Bakery, you must (i) purchase a Cinnabon® franchise from us, sign a Franchise Agreement with us, and sign the Co-Branded Bakery Schedule, which is attached as Exhibit C to this Disclosure Document (the "Co-Branded Bakery Schedule") and (ii) purchase a Carvel® franchise from Carvel and sign a Carvel® franchise agreement and co-branded schedule with Carvel. The terms of the Carvel® franchise offering, franchise agreement, and related agreements that Carvel will require you to sign are disclosed in the Carvel® Disclosure Document, which you must obtain from Carvel. We will not grant you the right to operate a Carvel Co-Branded Bakery, unless Carvel agrees to offer you a Carvel® franchise and to permit the franchise to be operated at a co-branded location.
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, if you want to operate a Carvel Co-Branded Bakery, you must purchase a Carvel franchise. A Carvel Co-Branded Bakery involves selling Cinnabon products alongside those authorized under the Carvel franchise system.
To operate a Carvel Co-Branded Bakery, you must first purchase a Cinnabon franchise and sign a Franchise Agreement with Cinnabon, including the Co-Branded Bakery Schedule. Additionally, you are required to purchase a Carvel franchise from Carvel, signing their franchise agreement and co-branded schedule. The specific terms of the Carvel franchise are detailed in Carvel's own Franchise Disclosure Document, which you must obtain separately from Carvel.
Cinnabon will not grant you the right to operate a Carvel Co-Branded Bakery unless Carvel agrees to offer you a Carvel franchise and permits it to be operated at a co-branded location. This means that your ability to open a co-branded location is contingent on approval from both Cinnabon and Carvel.