Australia’s first Cinnabon outlet opened its doors over the weekend and hundreds of fans were on hand to celebrate.

More than 1400 people crammed into the Toombul store over two days, eager to catch a glimpse of the much-anticipated and highly publicised US franchise icon. The inaugural outlet didn’t disappoint either, with a dedicated crew pumping out fresh-baked scrolls and treats from open to close.

The Toombul opening kick-starts an aggressive expansion strategy for the Australian operation. Back in August, operator Gaurav Bansal of the Bansal Group revealed plans to roll-out 50 outlets across the country over the next five years.

Now that the chain is up and running, Gaurav said it’s time to capitalise on the interest.

“The response has been overwhelming, from both locals and people who travelled hundreds of kilometres to get their hands on a Cinnabon on opening weekend,” he told Inside Franchise Business.

“We know we have a beloved brand that people want in their own backyard. The demand to move interstate is huge and that’s our goal for the coming years, to be Australia-wide.”

Australia’s first Cinnabon drives future growth

With queues for Australia’s first Cinnabon outlet sprawling out the door, it seems the brand has captured the nation’s attention. Bansal said a perfect storm of positive promotion, strong branding and healthy dose of nostalgia had helped Cinnabon to cut through the noise.

“I think it’s a nostalgia brand for many people who’ve tried it while travelling and never forgotten the taste. They’ve waited a long time to be able to taste Cinnabon back home, there’s also nothing else like it in Australia,” he said.

“We want to please Cinnabon fans all over Australia and roll into every state. We’re doing our best but it’s a huge job for every store and we want to make sure we get every opening perfect. There’s much to plan so we will take the time to do it right.”

So, fresh off the successful launch of Australia’s first Cinnabon, where can fans expect to see the next outlet open?

“We open our next Brisbane bakery in January 2020, and we have a couple more planned for Queensland next year,” Bansal said.

“The wheels are also in motion for Sydney and Melbourne and we hope very much to be there in 2020.”