EG Group secures licensing deal with US bakery brand Cinnabon

Leading forecourt operator EG Group has secured a deal with US bakery brand Cinnabon, with plans to open 150 stores over the next five years across the UK.

The brand’s newest bakery will be opened on 4 December at EG Group’s Frontier Park site in Blackburn, with additional bakeries set to open their doors as early as January 2021.

“Cinnabon is a well-recognised and enjoyed brand,” said Mohammed Tayab, EG Group’s Food & Beverage Director for Europe. “We are delighted to be able to serve our UK customers with delicious, freshly baked products when they want to treat themselves.”

A state-of-the art production facility in Frontier Park can support up to 50 stores with daily deliveries of fresh Cinnabon dough, which will then be hand-rolled and baked in store.

“We are delighted to be returning to the UK to deliver our Cinnabon product to our UK fans,” commented Sean Wooden, managing director at the brand owner Focus Brands EUMEA.

“Focus Brands International has been working closely with the team at EG Group to be able to deliver the world’s most famous cinnamon roll and provide a moment of sweet escape for UK residents and travelers.”

Meanwhile, Mohsin and Zuber Issa of the EG Group have reportedly launched a takeover bid for the ailing coffee shop chain Caffe Nero.

Reports said that the brothers have written to Caffe Nero’s founder and owner Gerry Ford over the weekend with a proposal.

Landlords would be fully reimbursed for any arrears owed by Caffe Nero during the pandemic under the offer and the deal is likely to be funded with existing cash reserves, reported The Telegraph.

Caffe Nero has around 800 stores across the UK and employs 6,000 people. The coffee chain has suffered a hit to trade since the pandemic forced the country into its first lockdown in March.

Issa Brothers bought Asda for £6.8 billion in September from Walmart in a deal backed by private equity firm TDR Capital.

They were made CBEs in the Queen’s birthday honors list for services to business and charity after turning EG Group into a network of almost 6,000 forecourts across 10 countries over the past 20 years.