Cinnabon’s aroma spreads holiday spirit, along with new menu items

Cinnabon’s Apple Crumble Bon is running through the holiday season paired with a Caramel Chillata. | Photos courtesy of Cinnabon.

While the weeks surrounding Thanksgiving and Christmas are a hectic time for everyone, at Atlanta-based Cinnabon they are magnified several times over into what the chain calls “JollyBon.” 

During the five-week holiday season, sales surge more than 40% and the brand’s 2,000 bakeries across the country experience some of their highest traffic of the year, with certain locations running 36-hour shifts to keep up with demand, said Urvi Patel, SVP of brands and chief brand officer of Cinnabon. Many of those units are in shopping malls, and the scent of baking wafting through the air as shoppers hunt down holiday gifts can be irresistible.

“This time of year is the Super Bowl for Cinnabon and the planning starts in January, finalizing the supply chain,” said Patel. “Then in September and October we spend a lot of time with our franchisees and team members at ‘Cinnaclinics’ to make sure the logistics are in place, the baking equipment is ready and production numbers are forecasted. Managing throughput and labor is key; we have to make sure we don’t run out of cinnamon rolls, but the excitement around the chaos energizes everyone.”

This year is the 40th anniversary of JollyBon, and to celebrate, the Apple Crumble Collection is joining the lineup, giving fans a new flavor variation.

Transforming a favorite pie into a cinnamon roll

The R&D for the newest cinnamon roll took place in the test kitchen at GoTo Foods, Cinnabon’s parent company, where ideas begin to come together.

“We start by asking ‘What flavors are guests craving?’” said Patel. While the culinary team may come up with dozens of ideas, not all flavors compliment a cinnamon roll. But apple is very popular in fall into the new year, with apple pie and apple beverages, she added, so that was the direction the team took.

Apple pie already is associated with cinnamon, and guests find that fruits pair very well with cinnamon rolls, said Patel, so the flavors came together nicely and didn’t conflict with the flavors in the bun. It’s also important that the ingredients don’t turn the cinnamon rolls soggy. With a few proportion tweaks, the topping of diced, cooked apples, streusel crumble and buttery caramel sauce worked in perfect harmony. In addition to the topping, there’s a nugget of apple crumble tucked inside the cinnamon rolls.  

Family packs are top sellers during the holidays.

At each location, the team has to work backwards to keep up with production. First, they roll out the dough, then shape the rolls, then proof the dough so it rises, then bake it. “Timing is very important, because the baked rolls have to cool down before they are frosted and topped. The teams are constantly baking every 30 minutes and fresh rolls are always coming out of the oven,” said Patel.

The Apple Crumble Bon launched earlier this month and will run through January. Another seasonal item—the fan-favorite Caramel Pecan Bon—is also on the menu during JollyBon. It’s topped with caramel frosting, caramel sauce and pecan pieces.  

“We also try and make sure that we have a beverage that pairs with the LTOs,” said Patel. “So right now we’re running a caramel version of our Chillata [frozen blended beverage] to really bring that flavor profile to life in a handful of different ways.” 

Wrapping up the experience

So far, the Apple Crumble Bon and Caramel Chillata are selling well, with mall traffic already on the upswing. “The malls light up during the holiday season, and even those who don’t traditionally patronize shopping malls may visit,” said Patel. 

Consumers are also more likely to indulge during the holidays, and that Cinnabon aroma is enticing. That’s why sales of individual buns go up, but Family-Sized CinnaPacks are among the top sellers during the season, with sales peaking on Christmas Eve, said Patel. Catering orders also increase, with treat breaks and parties on the rise.

Cinnabon’s scented holiday wrapping paper.

“This year, we’re leaning even more into the festive season and bringing that delicious, craveable aroma to holiday wrapping paper,” said Patel. Limited-edition Cinnabon Scented Wrapping Paper that smells like a warm cinnamon roll is now available online at Swag.Cinnabon.com. 

The scent of cinnamon rolls is a powerful source of nostalgia, and Cinnabon decided to take that iconic and beloved scent and roll it directly into the magic of gift-giving, she added.

Pat plans and executes menu, food and drink stories for Restaurant Business and hosts the weekly Menu Talk podcast. She provides in-depth coverage of chefs, trends and menu innovation.

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