Cinnabon finally in Hong Kong, opens in Olympic: franchise owner talks about his love of the famous cinnamon roll and what millennials really want

Cinnabon has more than 1,500 stores in more than 50 countries, including Japan, Korea, Thailand and Singapore – and now it’s opening in Hong Kong

The company is known and loved by people across the world for its signature large, gooey cinnamon bun, slathered with frosting

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Cinnabon is known and loved by people across the world for its signature large, gooey cinnamon bun, slathered with frosting – and now Hongkongers get to try one, too.

Published: 3:00pm, 11 Feb 2020Updated: 8:17pm, 11 Feb 2020

When word got out that Cinnabon was coming to Hong Kong, many people in the city became very excited. The brand’s signature large, gooey cinnamon bun, slathered with frosting, brings back sweet memories for those who have tried one while abroad.

Steven Yang Tsuen-men, 44, who is opening the franchise’s first shop in Olympian City 2, in Tai Kok Tsui, West Kowloon, hopes that those memories will help draw people in to buy the famous cinnamon rolls.

Yang opens a glass jar filled with cinnamon from Indonesia and tells us that the smell, both strong and spicy, can elicit either a positive or negative reaction. For those in the latter camp, he says, it’s because cinnamon has medicinal connotations.

“It’s the wrong perception. About 18 months ago, the [Cinnabon] headquarters did research in China [with] some focus groups. Initially, they asked people in Shanghai what they thought of cinnamon, and they thought it had a medicine taste,” says Yang.

“But when they ate a Cinnabon, they said, ‘Oh, it tastes good. It’s cinnamon, really?’ They don’t know the taste of cinnamon when it’s cooked or baked.”

Cinnabon’s signature large, gooey cinnamon buns bring back sweet memories for those who have tried one while abroad.

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