Available in packages of four and 16, the desserts are baked with sweet dough, layered with chocolate and covered in chocolate and cheese frosting. Limited offer prices start at $4.79 for a four-figure package.
“It’s something our guests are familiar with, as we have a legendary dough and what we do really well. Now we’re adding a touch of chocolate to it,” said Tracy Young, Cinnabon’s chief brand officer, in an interview with CNN Business. “We are really excited to bring – after 35 years – a chocolate product to our range.”
Chocolate has long been on Cinnabon’s radar, with Young saying the flavor “always scores high, but it’s higher now,” prompting them to explore a chocolate-focused product. It’s already on the menu in some drinks and in Cookie BonBites, a treat that combines cinnamon rolls and chocolate chip cookies.
“When people come to us, they tend to crave that indulgent thing we are so famous for,” Young said, nodding to cinnamon. “Now that chocolate is more relatable and sophisticated with our guests, this is the best opportunity to make a limited time offer.”
As for settling on the new product, the series had success with him abroad.
A copy of Chocolate BonBites has been sold at international Cinnabon locations in more than 20 countries, including Spain, India and the United Kingdom over the past few years. However, the American version does include chocolate frosting, which the international product does not.
Young said that Chocolate BonBites could become a permanent addition to their menu if customers enjoyed them. She added that other products had been tested in her research, but this treatment “by far” outperformed other foods she had tried.
Like other chains, Cinnabon has been hit by inflation as commodity costs have risen. Cinnabon locations are pretty much a privilege, with some choosing to raise menu prices and some not.
Young admitted, “We’re always looking for ways to make value a top priority. But of course it’s not helping the economy and inflationary pressures.”
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