ATLANTA, Nov. 18, 2003 (PRIMEZONE) -- Cinnabon(R), Inc., a subsidiary of AFC Enterprises, Inc. (Ticker: AFCE), announced it has signed a licensing agreement with General Mills for the development of Cinnabon Cinnamon Streusel Jumbo Muffin baking mix. General Mills has developed a line of Betty Crocker(R) premium branded home baking mixes for the club channel featuring high-equity co-brand partners like Cinnabon. These products offer retailers great products with strong consumer brand recognition. First shipments of the Cinnabon Cinnamon Streusel Muffin were October 26th, 2003 to Costco, Sam's Club, and BJ's across the country.
"We are excited to have been involved in the development of this delicious Cinnabon branded product because we feel that this cinnamon swirled muffin delivers on our guests' expectations for the brand," said Kirk Waisner, vice president of research and development, Cinnabon.
The product is a generous, oversized muffin with cream cheese flavored frosting. Cinnabon's famous rich cinnamon swirl offers up a home-baked treat reminiscent of a Cinnabon bakery. The product is a complete baking solution including free-standing muffin cups and is baked in less than 25 minutes.
"We are very pleased to be working with Betty Crocker on this exceptional cinnamon streusel muffin because it is a natural fit for building our brand awareness, " said Bill Jachthuber, director of new revenue channels, Cinnabon.
"This muffin offering is truly delicious, taking the Cinnabon indulgence consumers love and combining with the trusted home baked goodness of Betty Crocker. We expect the product to be well received in the Wholesale Club channel where consumers look for something more unique than what they can find in traditional Grocery stores," said Margarita Ortega, marketing manager of strategic growth initiatives at General Mills.
About General Mills
General Mills is a leading global manufacturer and marketer of consumer foods products, with annual worldwide net sales of $10.8 billion. Its global brand portfolio includes Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, Green Giant, Old El Paso and more. Included in the U.S. portfolio are some of the nation's most popular brands including Cheerios, Wheaties and other Big G cereal brands; Colombo, Yoplait, Totino's and Progresso. General Mills is also a leader in the bakeries and foodservice business as a major supplier of baking and other food products to the foodservice and commercial baking industries. Pillsbury, Toaster Strudel, Old El Paso, Hamburger Helper, Cocoa Puffs, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Honey Nut Cheerios, Trix and Lucky Charms are trademarks of General Mills, Inc. or its affiliates.
About Cinnabon
Cinnabon is the world-wide leader in the cinnamon roll bakery category. As of November 4, 2003, the company operated and franchised 618 bakeries worldwide. The bakeries are located in 43 states, Puerto Rico and 17 other countries. Founded in Seattle, Wash., in 1985, Cinnabon bakeries are traditionally located in high-traffic venues such as shopping malls, airports, train stations and travel plazas. The bakeries typically are located in 500- to 1,500-square-foot areas. Cinnabon bakeries have built a reputation for serving fresh, aromatic, oven-hot cinnamon rolls made with premium Indonesian cinnamon and topped with sweet, rich, cream cheese-based frosting. Cinnabon had system-wide sales of approximately $205.5 million in 2001 and can be found on the World Wide Web at www.cinnabon.com.
About AFC Enterprises
AFC Enterprises, Inc. is the franchisor and operator of 4,033 restaurants, bakeries and cafes as of November 4, 2003, in the United States, Puerto Rico and 35 foreign countries under the brand names Popeyes(R) Chicken & Biscuits, Church's Chicken(TM) and Cinnabon(R), and the franchisor of Seattle's Best Coffee(R) in Hawaii, on military bases and internationally. AFC's primary objective is to be the world's Franchisor of Choice(R) by offering investment opportunities in highly recognizable brands and exceptional franchisee support systems and services. AFC Enterprises had system-wide sales of approximately $2.7 billion in 2002 and can be found on the World Wide Web at www.afce.com.