Cinnabon and Carvel are teaming up for a new, indulgent venture that will squarely target millennial and Gen Z diners: Cinnabon Swirl.
The union will see the two brands serve up ice-cold “ooey-gooey goodness” at 30 new retail locations across the U.S. The first set is to open its doors in May in Hillsboro, OR, with three more planned for 2025 in Peoria, AZ, Kennesaw, GA, and Pasadena, CA.
The new concept from parent company,GoTo Foods, which also owns Auntie Anne’s, Jamba, and Schlotzsky’s, aims to help the two household names transcend their legacies as mall and airport brands while attracting younger diners.
“Looking at our customer data, Gen Z and millennials are really looking for that little treat and leaning into nostalgia,” Kieran Donahue, chief commercial officer at GoTo Foods, told ADWEEK.
GoTo’s insights revealed that younger consumers were also experimenting with “cool mashups” of different food items, she added, a trend that others such as McDonald’s and Kraft Heinz have been playing with through off-menu hacks and unexpected brand collabs.
Cinnabon Swirl’s menu will manifest this insight. Items on offer include a “Bonini,” a cinnamon roll heated in a panini press, sliced in half, and filled with ice cream, and ice cream sandwiches, which will swirl Carvel’s soft serve between two freshly baked chocolate chip cookies.
The news marks the second dual-brand quick-service restaurant launch in 2025.
In March, the first Applebee’s-IHOP, both of which are owned by Dine Brands, opened its doors. The Seguin, TX location features 124 menu items from both brands that can be mixed, matched, and ordered anytime during the day.
A brand sandwich
Per data from Technomic, Cinnabon’s sales declined 0.5% last year while Carvel’s slipped 6.5%.
However, with a new focus on Gen Z—50% of whom reported more frequent fast-food visits in 2024, alongside 36% of millennials, according to Revenue Management Solutions—this new concept could sprinkle some sugar on sales for both brands.
