What is required of a Cinnabon franchisee to have the opening of their Bakery approved?
Cinnabon Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
Item. (Franchise Agreement, Section 11.A.)
- 11. Approve Grand Opening Materials. We will approve or disapprove, in writing, any materials that you proposed to use in grand opening advertising promoting the opening of your Bakery. You must obtain our written approval for the grand opening advertising plan 30 days prior to the scheduled start date of such advertising campaign. (Franchise Agreement, Section 10.1.C.)
- 12. Approve Opening. We will approve the opening of your Bakery, provided you have met your pre-opening obligations. We estimate that the typical time between signing the
Franchise Agreement and opening your Bakery is 3 to 12 months. Factors affecting this time include attendance at, and satisfactory completion of, the Management Training Program; obtaining the Lease; obtaining all necessary permits; completion of construction; and delivery and installation of equipment and supplies. For a Full Bakery, you must (i) identify the Accepted Location, (ii) obtain our acceptance of the Accepted Location, (iii) sign any documentation we require to document the Accepted Location, (iv) obtain our acceptance of a Lease for the Accepted Location, and (v) sign the accepted Lease for the Accepted Location or otherwise acquire the ownership rights to the Accepted Location within 150 days after you sign the Franchise Agreement (the "Site Approval Deadline"). You must submit to us a complete set of final Architectural Plans at least 30 days before the Construction Start Deadline. You must begin construction at the Accepted Location within 270 days after we sign the Franchise Agreement (the "Construction Start Deadline"). You must open your Bakery within 360 days after we sign the Franchise Agreement (the "Opening Deadline"). For an Express Bakery, (i) the Site Approval Deadline is within 60 days after we sign the Franchise Agreement, (ii) the Construction Start Deadline is within 90 days after we sign the Franchise Agreement, and (iii) the Opening Deadline is within 180 days after we sign the Franchise Agreement. We may, in our sole discretion and upon your request, grant you an extension to any of these deadlines for a fee. We may terminate your Franchise Agreement (without refunding the Initial Franchise Fee) if you fail to meet the Site Approval Deadline or the Construction Start Deadline and fail to cure such failure within 30 days or if you do not meet the Opening Deadline.
Source: Item 11 — Franchisor's Assistance, Advertising, Computer Systems, and Training (FDD pages 66–82)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Cinnabon's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, Cinnabon will approve the opening of a franchisee's Bakery if the franchisee has met all pre-opening obligations. These obligations include several key milestones and deadlines that vary depending on whether the Bakery is a Full Bakery or an Express Bakery.
For a Full Bakery, franchisees must identify and secure an accepted location, documented through required paperwork and an accepted lease, within 150 days of signing the Franchise Agreement. Franchisees must submit complete architectural plans at least 30 days before the construction start deadline and begin construction within 270 days of signing the Franchise Agreement. The Bakery must be opened within 360 days after signing the Franchise Agreement. For an Express Bakery, the deadlines are shorter: site approval within 60 days, construction start within 90 days, and opening within 180 days after signing the Franchise Agreement.
Cinnabon may grant extensions to these deadlines at its discretion, potentially for a fee. Failure to meet the site approval or construction start deadlines, if uncured within 30 days, or failure to meet the opening deadline, can result in termination of the Franchise Agreement without a refund of the initial franchise fee. Franchisees must also ensure their required trainees successfully complete the Management Training Program at least one week prior to the scheduled opening date. Cinnabon must provide written consent before the franchisee can open the Bakery.