New York
CNN Business
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The latest item on the Cinnabon menu is missing cinn-onymous the ingredients.
For the first time ever in the United States, . has been released sweet treat series Sell a new food item that does not contain cinnamon. Until September, the chain was selling Chocolate BonBites, which are bite-sized chocolate rolls that Cinnabon describes as “chocolate” on bite-sized cinnamon rolls.
Available in packages of four and 16, the desserts are baked with sweet dough, layered with chocolate and covered in chocolate and cheese frosting. Limited-time offer prices start at $4.79 for a four-figure bundle.
“It’s something our guests are familiar with, as we have a legendary dough and what we do really well. We’re really excited to bring a chocolate touch to it,” Tracy Young, Cinnabon’s chief brand officer, said in an interview with CNN Business. – 35 years later – a chocolate product to our collection.
Chocolate has long been on Cinnabon’s radar, with Young saying the flavor “always scores high, but it’s higher now,” prompting them to explore a chocolate-focused product. It’s already on the menu in some drinks and in Cookie BonBites, a treat that combines cinnamon rolls and chocolate chip cookies.
“When people come to us, they tend to crave that indulgent thing we’re so famous for,” Young said, nodding to cinnamon. “Now that chocolate is more relatable and sophisticated with our guests, this is the best opportunity to make a limited time offer.”
As for settling on the new product, the series had success with him abroad.
A copy of Chocolate BonBites has been sold at international Cinnabon locations in more than 20 countries, including Spain, India and the United Kingdom over the past few years. However, the American version does include chocolate frosting, which the international product does not.
Young said that Chocolate BonBites could become a permanent addition to their menu if customers enjoyed them. She added that other products had been tested in her research, but this treatment “by far” outperformed other foods she had tried.
Cinnabon is privately owned Focus on brands, which also controls other food items such as Auntie Anne’s and Carvel. Total sales across about 1,000 locations in the US brought in $224 million last year, up more than 35% over the previous year according to data from Technomic.
Like other chains, Cinnabon has been hit by inflation as commodity costs have risen. Cinnabon locations are largely franchised, with some choosing to raise menu prices and some not.
“We are always looking for ways to put value in our minds. But of course the economy and inflationary pressures don’t help,” Young admitted.
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