When word got out that Cinnabon was coming to Hong Kong, many people in the city became very excited. The brand’s signature large, gooey cinnamon bun, slathered with frosting, brings back sweet memories for those who have tried one while abroad.
Steven Yang Tsuen-men, 44, who is opening the franchise’s first shop in Olympian City 2, in Tai Kok Tsui, West Kowloon, hopes that those memories will help draw people in to buy the famous cinnamon rolls.
Yang opens a glass jar filled with cinnamon from Indonesia and tells us that the smell, both strong and spicy, can elicit either a positive or negative reaction. For those in the latter camp, he says, it’s because cinnamon has medicinal connotations.“It’s the wrong perception. About 18 months ago, the [Cinnabon] headquarters did research in China [with] some focus groups. Initially, they asked people in Shanghai what they thought of cinnamon, and they thought it had a medicine taste,” says Yang.“But when they ate a Cinnabon, they said, ‘Oh, it tastes good. It’s cinnamon, really?’ They don’t know the taste of cinnamon when it’s cooked or baked.”
Hong Kong is a more international city than Shanghai, Yang says, which is why he doesn’t think the taste of cinnamon will be an issue for Hongkongers. He also thinks that people’s tastes have evolved.
Yang, who went to high school and university in Australia, remembers coming back to Hong Kong on visits and asking his friends if they had eaten cheesecake before.“They thought cheese was smelly. It was food that rich people ate, or [it was] Kraft singles. They couldn’t relate cheese to sweets. Today, you can find cheesecake everywhere in Hong Kong.”
Yang tried his first Cinnabon in Los Angeles in 2001, and had them again two years ago in Manila. It was so good that he started wondering why Hong Kong didn’t have an outlet.
Cinnabon was started by father and son duo Rich and Greg Komen in 1985 in Seattle, Washington state. It has more than 1,500 stores in more than 50 countries, including Japan, Korea, Thailand and Singapore – and now, Hong Kong.
Although well-known brands usually launch in districts like Central and Causeway Bay before expanding to more residential areas, Yang says there are merits in choosing Olympian City as the franchise’s first location in Hong Kong.“I live within walking distance, and this place is surrounded by at least six international kindergartens. The Superpark, [Kowloon’s] biggest indoor playground, is here and we’re near the ICC [International Commerce Centre]. When it opened, a lot of banks moved there. Not everyone [wants] to live in Mid-Levels [in Central] so where’s next? Olympic. This is where the super middle class live,” Yang says.
Although the shop is small, all the baking is done from scratch on site. Yang says all the staff wear gloves, masks and hairnets in accordance with the brand’s strict guidelines, even though it only sells cinnamon rolls and drinks for take away.
There are three flavours available for people pick from. The classic Cinnabon has a lot of cinnamon in it and is complemented with a thick vanilla frosting; the Chocobon has no cinnamon and an intense chocolate taste; and the Caramel Pecanbon contains both caramel pecan and cinnamon.
There are also different sizes. The classic cinnamon roll is HK$38 for the regular size, HK$29 for the “minibon” and HK$30 for “bonbites” (four pieces). The regular-sized Chocobon is HK$42, and the Caramel Pecanbon is HK$46.
Yang, who himself has a sweet tooth, believes he is bringing Cinnabon to Hong Kong at a time when the snack industry in the city is growing.
“Millennials and young people – they want grab-and-go food, snack food. At the same time, when I ask people what they crave for, some say durian, some say chocolate or marshmallows. But Cinnabon is always at the top of the crave list for snacking. With the snacking industry growing in Hong Kong, Cinnabon will do well.”
Find Cinnabon at Shop G06, G/F, Olympian City 2, 18 Hoi Ting Road, West Kowloon
This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: City gets a taste of baked goods franchise on a roll
