[UPDATE] Cinnaholic Hopes to Find Sweet Success in Former Poke Space

A second Atlanta area location of Cinnaholic is coming soon.  The new franchise, to be located in the Publix-anchored Dunwoody Hall shopping center along Chamblee Dunwoody Road, will open in place of the short-lived Poke City. (The poke joint opened late last June and was closed by early this past March.)  The new 1,340 square foot shop will be in an endcap space behind Novo Pizza. 

The first Cinnaholic opened in Berkeley, California in 2010.  Cinnaholic appeared on Shark Tank in 2014 and began to offer franchises in 2015.  The growing franchise entered the Atlanta market in June 2016 with a location in the Edgewood Retail District along Moreland Avenue not far from Little 5 Points.  A second Georgia location opened in Athens in September 2016.  This past April, a third Georgia location made its debut near Valdosta Mall in Valdosta.  

What makes Cinnaholic unique is that their cinnamon buns are dairy-free, lactose-free, egg-free, cholesterol-free and a 100% vegan.  While there is no "healthy cinnamon bun," Cinnaholic products are [slightly] less caloric than other similar products from industry leader Atlanta-based Cinnabon.  

According to the Cinnaholic website, a classic "old skool roll" is 650 730  calories while a classic Cinnabon is 880 calories.  The two are a little closer when it comes to carbs, where Cinnaholic has 101 109 grams and Cinnabon has 127 grams, according to their respective websites, for a single classic bun. (The marked out numbers reflect calorie and carb counts as of 2016, that seem to have been increased today.)  Interestingly, a classic roll at Cinnaholic packs a bigger sugar punch with 59 grams compared to Cinnabon at 58 grams.  Cinnabon, on the other hand, comes with 13 grams of protein, compared to Cinnaholic's 8.  

The minor differences seem to suggest that the appeal of Cinnaholic is less health based and more for those with dietary restrictions.  

Cinnaholic has also expanded its menu to include edible cookie dough, brownies, bite-sized baby buns, chocolate chip cookies and cinnacakes, among other offerings.  

Co-founders Shannon and Florian Radke sold their first Berkeley location and reportedly are still involved in the business overall but seemingly in a limited way.  

Today the business is based on Mount Vernon Road in Dunwoody.  

Daryl Dollinger, a veteran of both Raving Brands (Moe's Southwest Grill, Doc Green's, Boneheads, Planet Smoothie, Mama Fu's etc.) and Big Game Brands (Flying Biscuit Cafe, Monkey Joe's, Cowlicks, etc.) is listed as the company's CEO, with Spencer Reid, a veteran of both Raving Brands and Great Wraps, listed as the company's President. 

Despite several closures - three in San Diego, one in Jacksonville and another in Denver, among others - Cinnaholic was named one of Entrepreneur Magazine's “Top New Franchises of 2018.”  

Strangely, Cinnaholic is not mimicking the growth (and success) of Cinnabon with locations in malls, lifestyle centers, airports and other high-traffic locations. (It's worth noting that a Cinnabon franchise in Dunwoody's Perimeter Mall did close earlier this year.)  Instead, Cinnaholic is locating in strip centers, shopping centers and other locations that rely on them being a destination, versus a "snack" or "treat" while customers are already out.  

As of May 2018, the company operated 29 locations across the US and Canada.  Today, according to the company's website, there are 38 locations open in the US and Canada.  

The franchise started 2018 with 76 units in development and closed out the second quarter of 2018 with 136 units in development, a nearly 80% increase.  As of the Valdosta opening, the company claimed to have 150 units in development.  

If "units in development" sounds familiar to you, it should.  Another Atlanta-based chain with ties to Moe's also beat its chest with claims of 165 units in development in 2014.  That chain - Uncle Maddio's Pizza - earlier this year filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and after a series of recent franchise departures, now has just 22 units open under its name.  

This site has never been about cheering failure or hoping for closures, instead it's meant as not only a resource for neighbors to know what's opening (or closing) but for would-be and current business owners, too.  

Are you excited for the opening of Cinnaholic in Dunwoody?  Have you ever been to Cinnaholic?  Do you think Cinnaholic will be more successful in Dunwoody than Poke City was?

Please share your thoughts below