Cinnabon Trademarks
Please note: Gerben IP does not represent Cinnabon. This page is provided for informational purposes and reflects information available in public USPTO records.
September 21, 2023
Cinnabon is an American chain of baked good kiosks and stores with a signature menu item of the cinnamon roll. Cinnabon’s can be found in high-traffic areas such as airports, malls, and rest stops.
In December 2017, Cinnabon had over 1,200 bakeries spread across 48 countries, with its corporate headquarters located in the United States in Sandy Spring, Georgia.
Focus Brands co-owns Cinnabon. Focus is an affiliate of Roark Capital Group, a private equity firm that also co-owns Moe’s Southwest Grill, Schlotzsky’s, McAlister’s Deli, Auntie Anne’s, Carvel, and Jamba.
Let’s look at Cinnabon’s company history, its relevance in popular culture, and its trademarks.
Cinnabon Company History
Cinnabon was created by Rich Komen of the Restaurants Unlimited group, with help from CEO, Ray Lindstrom. Restaurants Unlimited was based out of Seattle, Washington. At the time, Komen was desperately searching for the next restaurant business venture. He realized that shopping malls were becoming the next place to grab a snack, as their popularity boomed among teenagers.
Komen initially tried to franchise two other cinnamon roll-based companies, T. J. Cinnamons from Kansas City and a bakery named Mrs. Powell’s from Idaho. Both deals fell through, leaving Komen in a sticky situation, as he had already signed a lease for his first cinnamon roll shop in the SeaTac Mall.
With just a few months before the lease started, Komen and Lindstrom decided that they would have to create their own product. The duo reached out to Jerilyn Brusseau, a famous baker in the Seattle area. The pair tasked Brusseau with creating the perfect cinnamon roll recipe. Brusseau started with her grandmother’s cinnamon roll recipe and refined it until it reached perfection. Komen’s son, Greg, worked closely with Brusseau at this time, helping her to create the perfect, quick-cooking cinnamon roll.
The first Cinnabon establishment opened on December 4, 1985, in a shopping mall close to the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. At the time, the mall was known as the SeaTac Mall. Today the mall, located in Federal Way, Washington is called The Commons at Federal Way. There is still a Cinnabon at this location today.
Absurdly, when the first Cinnabon was opened, it was with a neon pink sign, boasting that the store was selling “World Famous Cinnamon Rolls.” This absurd boast would eventually become the company’s reality.
The chain was decorated with Italian marble and white and cobalt-blue tiles and featured an open-view bakery that allowed customers to see their rolls made by hand.
The Cinnabon concept proved to be more successful than Restaurants Unlimited had anticipated, with sales reaching $500 on the first day and doubling the next. Therefore, instead of the initial plan of opening three units and then gradually expanding, the company started planning accelerated expansion.
By the end of the first year, Cinnabon had 15 operational units. Cinnabon ventured into an independent business unit of Restaurants Unlimited, with its own corporate offices.
After one year of operations, the company expanded from Hawaii to Illinois, making giant geographical leaps, as was the case with the initial deployment of the units in Las Vegas, Seattle, and Chicago.
In 1987, the business opened 16 more units, filling some geographic gaps in its expansion. By the ‘90s, there were 72 Cinnabon units, with Cinnabon contributing 25% of Restaurants Unlimited’s $100 million annual sales.
Cinnabon’s signature offering, cinnamon rolls, fueled the establishment’s rapid growth through the ‘90s. By 1992, there were 180 units in the U.S. and Canada.
As Cinnabon grew bigger than its parent company, Restaurants Unlimited decided to spin it into an independent company, finalizing the separation in April 1996. Cinnabon was generating $77 million in annual sales with 225 operational units at that time.
Cinnabon in Popular Culture
Cinnabon has also been often used in popular culture, making appearances in famous TV shows such as AMC’s Better Call Saul. The main character in the show, Saul Goodman, is shown working at a Nebraska Cinnabon store, living as a fugitive with an assumed name.
Cinnabon Trademarks
Cinnabon has sought or obtained a federal registration for about 20 trademarks. These include “MOCHALATTA CHILL,” “MINIBON,” “CHILLATTAS,” and “CINNABON SWIRL.”
In September 1991, Cinnabon obtained a federal trademark registration for “MOCHALATTA CHILL” and uses the trademark for its dairy-based food and beverages, specifically iced chocolate mocha consumed on and off-premises.
Cinnabon also obtained federal trademark registration for “MINIBON” on March 31, 1998. The company uses the trademark for its bakery goods consumed on and off-premises.
Cinnabon submitted a federal trademark application for “CINNABON SWIRL” on May 16, 2022. The company intends to use this trademark for its fruit, nut, peanut butter, and whipped toppings ice cream, milkshakes, and non-fruit dairy-based frozen beverages consumed on and off-premises.
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IC 029. US 046. G & S fruit, nut, peanut butter and whipped toppings for ice cream, milkshakes, non-fruit dairy-based frozen beverages, for consumption on or off the premises.
IC 030. US 046. G & S ice cream and ice cream novelties, sherbets, frozen confections, cakes made of ice cream and combinations of ice cream and frozen desserts, ice cream cones and ice cream products, namely, non-fruit toppings for ice cream, namely, chocolate and caramel syrup toppings, marshmallow toppings and candy sprinkles, wafers or coolies with interlayers of ice cream, for consumption on or off the premises; Bakery goods; cakes; pastries; cinnamon rolls; buns; coffee and coffee-based beverages; iced coffee; cappuccino; coffee capsules containing coffee for brewing; cocoa-based beverages; breakfast cereals; refrigerated dough; mixes for bakery goods; muffins, donuts, donut holes, Danish, bread, bagels.
IC 032. US 045 046 048. G & S frozen fruit beverages.
IC 035. US 100 101 102. G & S retail ice cream store services; retail bakery services.
IC 043. US 100 101. G & S ice cream parlor restaurant services; restaurant services; take-out restaurant services; services for providing food and drink.
IC 029. US 046. G & S fruit, nut, peanut butter and whipped toppings for ice cream, milkshakes, non-fruit dairy-based frozen beverages, for consumption on or off the premises.
IC 030. US 046. G & S ice cream and ice cream novelties, sherbets, frozen confections, cakes made of ice cream and combinations of ice cream and frozen desserts, ice cream cones and ice cream products, namely, non-fruit toppings for ice cream, namely, chocolate and caramel syrup toppings, marshmallow toppings and candy sprinkles, wafers or coolies with interlayers of ice cream, for consumption on or off the premises; Bakery goods; cakes; pastries; cinnamon rolls; buns; coffee and coffee-based beverages; iced coffee; cappuccino; coffee capsules containing coffee for brewing; cocoa-based beverages; breakfast cereals; refrigerated dough; mixes for bakery goods; muffins, donuts, donut holes, Danish, bread, bagels.
IC 032. US 045 046 048. G & S frozen fruit beverages.
IC 035. US 100 101 102. G & S retail ice cream store services; retail bakery services.
IC 043. US 100 101. G & S ice cream parlor restaurant services; restaurant services; take-out restaurant services; services for providing food and drink.
IC 029. US 046. G & S Fruit, nut, and peanut butter and whipped toppings for ice cream, milkshakes, non-fruit dairy-based frozen beverages, namely, milkshakes.
IC 030. US 046. G & S ice cream and ice cream novelties,namely, sherbets, frozen confections, cakes made of ice cream and combinations of ice cream and frozen desserts, namely, frozen confections, cakes, cookies; ice cream cones and ice cream products, namely, non-fruit toppings for ice cream in the nature of chocolate and caramel syrup, marshmallows and candy sprinkles and wafers; cookies with interlayers of ice cream, namely, ice cream sandwiches; Bakery goods; cakes; pastries; cinnamon rolls; buns; coffee and coffee-based beverages; iced coffee; cappuccino; coffee capsules containing coffee for brewing; cocoa-based beverages; breakfast cereals; refrigerated dough; mixes for bakery goods; muffins, donuts, donut holes, Danish, bread, bagels.
IC 032. US 045 046 048. G & S frozen fruit beverages.
IC 035. US 100 101 102. G & S retail ice cream store services featuring ice cream for consumption on or off the premises; retail bakery store services.
IC 043. US 100 101. G & S ice cream parlor restaurant services; restaurant services; take-out restaurant services; services for providing of food and drink.
IC 035. US 100 101 102. G & S Retail bakery services. FIRST USE: 20151011. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 20151011.
IC 030. US 046. G & S ice cream; Bakery goods; cakes; pastries; cinnamon rolls; buns; coffee and coffee-based beverages; iced coffee; cappuccino; coffee capsules containing coffee for brewing; cocoa-based beverages; breakfast cereals; refrigerated dough; mixes for bakery goods; muffins, donuts, donut holes, Danish, bread, bagels. FIRST USE: 20200215. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 20200215.
IC 035. US 100 101 102. G & S Retail bakery services. FIRST USE: 20151011. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 20151011.
IC 043. US 100 101. G & S Restaurant services; take-out restaurant services; services for providing food and drink. FIRST USE: 20151011. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 20151011.
IC 043. US 100 101. G & S Restaurant services; take-out restaurant services; services for providing food and drink. FIRST USE: 20151011. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 20151011.
IC 043. US 100 101. G & S Restaurant services; take-out restaurant services; services for providing food and drink. FIRST USE: 20151011. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 20151011.
IC 030. US 046. G & S Bakery goods. FIRST USE: 20131100. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 20131100.
IC 030. US 046. G & S Sweet dough-enrobed foods consisting of balls of dough with sweet fillings. FIRST USE: 20090513. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 20121210.
IC 030. US 046. G & S Bakery goods. FIRST USE: 19880101. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 19880101.
IC 030. US 046. G & S [Candy, namely, brittle, pralines and fudge;] microwaveable baked goods, namely, rolls and cookies; frozen baked goods, namely, rolls and cookies; dry mixes for bakery goods; [ready-to-eat cereal derived food bars;] shelf stable breads, namely, loaf bread, bagels and muffins;[ ice cream, namely, ice cream novelties, ice cream cakes, and ice cream truffles;] and popped popcorn. FIRST USE: 20010801. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 20010801.
IC 003. US 001 004 006 050 051 052. G & S [ Cosmetics, namely, lip balm and lip gloss and breath fresheners ]. FIRST USE: 20030930. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 20030930.
IC 004. US 001 006 015. G & S [Scented candles]. FIRST USE: 20060919. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 20060919.
IC 021. US 002 013 023 029 030 033 040 050. G & S Serving trays, cups and mugs. FIRST USE: 20070716. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 20070716.
IC 025. US 022 039. G & S Clothing, namely, t-shirts; and headgear, namely, caps. FIRST USE: 20070716. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 20070716.
IC 030. US 046. G & S [ flour-based and grain-based chips, crisps and crackers; ] refrigerated dough; cinnamon and cinnamon powder. FIRST USE: 19930601. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 19930601.
IC 030. US 046. G & S Bakery goods for consumption on or off the premises. FIRST USE: 20000619. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 20000619.
IC 029. US 046. G & S [ Milk drinks containing fruits; Milk-based beverage containing coffee; Milk beverages containing fruits ]. FIRST USE: 20100101. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 20100101.
IC 030. US 046. G & S Bakery desserts; Bakery goods; Bakery products; Bakery products, namely, sweet bakery goods; [ Coffee; Beverages made of coffee; Beverages made of tea; Cocoa beverages with milk; Cocoa-based beverages; Coffee beverages with milk; Coffee-based beverage containing milk; Coffee-based beverages; Prepared cocoa and cocoa-based beverages; Prepared coffee and coffee-based beverages; ] Buns; Cinnamon rolls; [ Muffins; ]Pastry[ ; Ice cream; Iced coffee; Cappuccino; Coffee based beverages ]. FIRST USE: 20090401. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 20090401.
IC 032. US 045 046 048. G & S [ Frozen fruit beverages; Frozen fruit-based beverages; Non-carbonated, non-alcoholic frozen flavored beverages; Non-alcoholic beverages containing fruit juices; Fruit beverages; Fruit flavored drinks ]. FIRST USE: 20100101. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 20100101.
IC 032. US 045 046 048. G & S Non-carbonated, non-alcoholic frozen flavored beverages, namely hand-blended beverages including fruit, caramel, chocolate, coffee or cappuccino with a fruit, caramel or chocolate swirl. FIRST USE: 20050507. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 20050507.
IC 030. US 046. G & S [ Microwave popcorn, ] popcorn products, namely, [ processed unpopped popcorn, ] ready-to-eat popcorn, popped popcorn; snack foods consisting primarily of popcorn [, namely, glazed popcorn bars and popcorn cakes ]. FIRST USE: 20030825. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 20030825.
IC 030. US 046. G & S Breakfast cereals. FIRST USE: 20100223. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 20100323.
IC 030. US 046. G & S bakery goods for consumption on and off the premises. FIRST USE: 19971006. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 19971006.
IC 030. US 046. G & S bakery goods for consumption on and off the premises. FIRST USE: 19900410. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 19900410.
IC 029. US 046. G & S dairy-based food beverages. FIRST USE: 19941000. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 19941000.
IC 030. US 046. G & S coffee. FIRST USE: 19941000. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 19941000.
IC 032. US 045 046 048. G & S fruit drinks, soft drinks, juices and spring water. FIRST USE: 19941000. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 19941000.
IC 030. US 046. G & S bakery goods for consumption on and off the premises. FIRST USE: 19851204. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 19860323.
IC 030. US 046. G & S dairy-based food beverage; namely, iced chocolate mocha for consumption on or off the premises. FIRST USE: 19890615. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 19890617.