Cinnaholic Brings Its 85 Franchise Locations Back to Square
MWN-AI** Summary
Cinnaholic, a plant-based gourmet cinnamon roll franchise, has re-engaged Square as its technology partner to support its 85 franchise locations across the U.S. and Canada, marking a return after a year of exploring other solutions. Having originally partnered with Square for over a decade, the franchise recognized its significant reliability, flexibility, and comprehensive franchise support when it recommitted to Square's integrated commerce platform.
Founded in 2010 in Berkeley, California, Cinnaholic has expanded from a single storefront to a franchise with a strong national presence. The franchise required a platform that could centralize menus and marketing while allowing individual franchisees the freedom to manage their operations independently. Square's integrated suite of commerce solutions offers exactly that, helping Cinnaholic balance corporate oversight with franchisee autonomy, ensuring consistent quality and customer experience across locations.
Square's offerings for Cinnaholic include Square for Franchises, which aids in multi-location management, while specific tools like Square Register and Square Stand facilitate efficient payment processing. Additionally, the franchise leverages Square Loyalty for enhancing customer engagement and Square Marketing for streamlined communications. With these tools, Cinnaholic reports that loyalty program participants visit stores 40% more often than non-members, showcasing the positive impact of the platform.
Nick Molnar, Head of Sales and Marketing at Square, emphasized the platform's capacity to support rapidly expanding franchises, while Karen Bustios, Cinnaholic's Vice President of Operations, reaffirmed the company's trust in Square to aid future growth. With 10 new locations planned for 2026 and another 20 in development, Cinnaholic continues to thrive within the evolving bakery landscape, catering to customers with fully customizable, plant-based cinnamon rolls.
MWN-AI** Analysis
Cinnaholic’s recent decision to re-engage Square for its operational management highlights a significant trend within the franchise sector, particularly for quick-service restaurants with unique offerings. As the plant-based gourmet cinnamon roll franchise expands across the United States and Canada, the reliance on an integrated platform like Square emphasizes the importance of having robust technology to support scalability while maintaining brand integrity.
For investors looking to capitalize on the growing plant-based food sector, Cinnaholic presents a compelling opportunity. The franchise’s commitment to utilizing Square underscores the need for efficient point-of-sale systems and customer loyalty programs—key components that can enhance consumer engagement and drive sales. The reported 40% increase in store visits by loyalty program members illustrates the effectiveness of these strategies, suggesting that franchises that prioritize customer engagement will likely see stronger performance metrics.
Moreover, Cinnaholic's promise of customization aligns well with current consumer preferences for personalized dining experiences. With the planned expansion of 10 new locations in 2026 and another 20 in development, there’s potential for significant revenue growth. This bodes well for prospective investors, as demand for plant-based options continues to rise, fueled by a growing focus on health, sustainability, and ethically sourced food.
When considering market entry or investment in Cinnaholic, it is essential to assess the implications of their technology partners and the efficiencies they bring. Square’s integrated solutions not only enhance operational management for franchisees but also afford them the freedom to capitalize on local market dynamics without sacrificing brand consistency.
In summary, Cinnaholic’s strategic use of technology alongside a focus on customer experience positions it for sustained growth in a competitive landscape, making it an attractive consideration for investors eyeing the plant-based food sector.
**MWN-AI Summary and Analysis is based on asking OpenAI to summarize and analyze this news release.
Plant-based bakery chain learns firsthand that Square is unrivaled for reliability, flexibility, and scale
Cinnaholic, the plant-based gourmet cinnamon roll franchise, has found the recipe for sweet success by reengaging Square to power its nationwide operations across 85 locations. Cinnaholic grew its business on Square for twelve years, and after a year of trying another solution, the franchise has recommitted to Square's integrated commerce platform – drawn back by its proven reliability and expansive franchise capabilities. With Square as its technology partner, the business has streamlined everything from point-of-sale and customer loyalty to marketing automation and team management. Franchisees can now focus on delivering exceptional customer experiences while staying true to Cinnaholic's mission of satisfying dessert cravings and positively impacting people, animals, and the planet.
Founded in 2010 in Berkeley, Calif., Cinnaholic has grown from a single storefront into a thriving franchise with locations across the United States and Canada. Cinnaholic’s fast-growing business needed a platform that could manage centralized menus and marketing while giving each franchisee independent control. Square's integrated platform provides exactly that – the recipe for scaling operations without sacrificing the quality, values, and customer experience that define the brand.
“We grew Cinnaholic on Square, and though we took a break and tried another provider, we realized Square was the right tech solution to continue scaling our business," said Karen Bustios, Vice President of Operations at Cinnaholic. “And Square's platform delivers the reliability, support, and franchise capabilities we need to scale confidently.”
Across their locations, Cinnaholic utilizes Square's complete suite of commerce solutions, including Square for Franchises for multi-location management that balances centralized control with local autonomy – providing HQ-level visibility while enabling faster checkout, higher sales, and real-time insights at every location. In store, Cinnaholic is using Square Register and Square Stand for payments and point-of-sale hardware and advanced access for team management. For growing their business, Cinnaholic is harnessing Square Loyalty for customer engagement and Square Marketing for automated communications. By consolidating critical business functions into a single, integrated platform, Cinnaholic has simplified management for franchisees. Cinnaholic sees strong results from using Square’s software, with loyalty members visiting stores 40% more frequently than non-members. [1]
“Cinnaholic's return to Square shows that we're the right platform to support fast-growing quick service franchises as they expand,” said Nick Molnar, Head of Sales and Marketing at Block. “We deliver the reliability, flexibility, and integrated solutions that enable franchisees to operate independently while maintaining brand consistency – and winning Cinnaholic back to Square shows their trust in the business impact we can drive.”
For more information about Cinnaholic, visit cinnaholic.com . To learn more about Square's restaurant solutions, visit squareup.com/restaurants .
About Square
Square helps businesses turn transactions into connections and businesses into neighborhood favorites.
In 2009, Square started with a simple invention – the first mobile card reader, which changed how the entire financial system thinks about small businesses. Square has since grown into a global business platform helping millions of sellers of all sizes participate and thrive in their communities.
Whether independently run or a global chain, Square understands that sellers succeed when they have the freedom to focus on the experiences that keep customers coming back. From point of sale and payments to online commerce, staff management, cash flow tools, and more, Square brings together the tools sellers need to run and grow on one intelligent platform. For more information, visit squareup.com .
About Cinnaholic
Based out of Atlanta, Georgia, Cinnaholic is the only gourmet bakery that allows customers to completely customize cinnamon rolls with more than 20 frosting flavors and over 20 topping choices. Each Cinnaholic cinnamon roll is 100% plant-based and free of dairy, lactose, eggs or cholesterol, allowing guests to enjoy their mouthwatering creations without worrying about certain dietary or allergy restrictions. In addition to the 85 Cinnaholic locations open today, 10 new locations will open in 2026 with another 20 in development. To learn more about Cinnaholic franchise opportunities, call (404) 844-8661. For more information about Cinnaholic bakeries, visit www.cinnaholic.com .
[1] https://squareup.com/us/en/the-bottom-line/operating-your-business/seller-story-cinnaholic
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260305177900/en/
FAQ**
How does Cinnaholic's return to Square demonstrate the effectiveness of Block Inc. Class A XYZ's integrated platform in managing multi-location franchises?
What specific features of Square's technology did Cinnaholic find essential to improving franchisee operations and maintaining brand consistency under Block Inc. Class A XYZ?
With Cinnaholic planning to open new locations by 2026, how does Square's platform support scalability and operational flexibility for Block Inc. Class A XYZ?
In terms of customer engagement, what metrics does Cinnaholic use to measure the success of Square Loyalty and how does this reflect on Block Inc. Class A XYZ's business model?
**MWN-AI FAQ is based on asking OpenAI questions about Block Inc. Class A (NYSE: XYZ).
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