Cinnabon expanding to Georgia

PanARMENIAN.Net - Atlanta-based Cinnabon Inc., the cinnamon roll bakery with more than 1,000 locations worldwide, announced that it has signed a master franchise agreement to expand into the Republic of Georgia.

According to globalatlanta.com, under the agreement, the franchisee, BrandCity LLC, which is located in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, is to open seven stores in Georgia within the next six years.

The master franchise partners Sam Samuelyan, who is originally from Lebanon, and Stepan Panosyan, from Cyprus, are planning to open the republic’s first Cinnabon in the capital city of Tbilisi in 2014, according to a news release.

Samuelyan and Panosyan also operate KIA Motors, Paul Bakeries, Segafredo,Zanetti coffee shop and Southern Fried Chicken franchises in Armenia.

Cinnabon already has a significant presence throughout Europe and Asia with locations in Azerbaijan, Armenia and Turkey, which border on Georgia.

According to the release, Cinnabon has opened 103 locations in Russia in four years, with plans for another 30 in the next year.

“We’re excited to have the opportunity to work with such esteemed businessmen as Samuelyan and Panosyan and to introduce our product to the country,” said Mike Shattuck, president of Atlanta-basedFOCUS Brands International, which handles overseas expansion for Cinnabon and other brands.

Shattuck also said that by the end of the year Cinnabon projects new market launches in Morocco, Tunisia, Albania, Iraq, Mongolia and Ukraine.

In addition, Cinnabon is seeking franchise partners in North African countries, Korea,Taiwan, Brazil, Spain, France and Germany.

Most of Cinnabon’s franchises are in high traffic venues such as shopping malls, airports, train stations, travel plazas, entertainment centers and military establishments.