Cinnabon

Financing

Dave's Hot Chicken provides Roark Capital with some needed growth

The Bottom Line: More than half of the private-equity firm’s restaurant chains shrunk last year, including Arby’s, Subway and Sonic. And only six of its chains, not counting Dave’s, grew more than average.

Marketing

Here's why restaurant chains are selling one another's products

Restaurant Rewind: The lines between segments aren't the only traditional boundaries that are being smudged in today's competitive environment. Contrary to the old rules, concepts are tapping the drawing power of competitors for share of stomach.

The new Cinnabon Swirl concept from GoTo Foods will debut in Hawaii this summer, with a second unit coming to Oregon. It's a mashup brand with its own identity as the multi-brand restaurant franchise platform promotes more co-branding.

Kerri Christian will oversee marketing for the company’s specialty category; Tracey Young was named chief brand officer for Cinnabon; Jim Salerno was given the same title with Carvel, where Jessica Osborne will be VP of marketing.

The longtime executive will oversee technology at the owner of Auntie Anne’s, Cinnabon, Jamba and other concepts.

Parent company Focus Brands is using cobranding as it looks for different types of locations for its mall-focused concepts.

The owner of Cinnabon and Auntie Anne’s named Guillermo Cremer its new chief people officer and Joe Guith as head of its restaurant brands. Will Costello is a new procurement VP.

Jim Holthouser, CEO of the owner of Cinnabon and Jamba, discusses how his company plans to take on aggregators to own the customer relationship.

Melissa Smith was named chief people officer for Focus; Kendall Ware was named chief brand officer of Carvel and Cinnabon; and Alisa Gmelich was named chief brand officer for Auntie Anne’s.

The executive’s departure comes amid a host of changes at the Atlanta-based brand operator.

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