Kat Cole Promoted to President of Cinnabon

By: Cinnabon | 19 Shares 132 Reads

ATLANTA, GA --(Marketwire - January 10, 2011) - FOCUS Brands Inc., the franchisor and operator of more than 3,300 ice cream stores, bakeries, restaurants and cafes, announced today that Kat Cole has been named President of Cinnabon, Inc., the 25-year-old market leader among cinnamon roll bakeries with more than 770 locations worldwide.

"Since joining us only three months ago, Kat has made a tremendous impact on the Cinnabon brand, assessing and addressing key strategic opportunities while learning and leading the business," said Russ Umphenour, CEO of parent company FOCUS Brands. "Kat is a natural leader and a relationship-builder. She has spent a great deal of time in the field getting to know our franchise partners and their teams, as well as learning about their day-to-day needs and challenges."

"I love experiencing drivers of the Cinnabon business first-hand and have valued the opportunity to work many hours in our bakeries, getting to know our guests, managers, crew members, corporate support team and other leaders in our organization," said Kat. "I look forward to continuing to contribute to the strategic and profitable growth of Cinnabon's franchise partners and the evolution of the Cinnabon brand. I am grateful to lead such a world-class franchise organization."

Prior to joining Cinnabon as Chief Operating Officer, Kat served as Vice President of Training and Development for Hooters of America, Inc., where she played a key role in research, strategy and integration for non-traditional brand extensions and profitable revenue building initiatives. In addition to serving on the Board of Directors of the Women's Foodservice Forum (WFF) and the Certification Governing Board for the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF), Kat is a past Chair of the Board of Directors for the Georgia Restaurant Association (GRA). She most recently was awarded with the 2010 GRACE (Georgia Restaurant Association Crystal of Excellence) Award for Distinguished Service. Kat received her MBA from Georgia State University.

Gary Bales will step down as President of Cinnabon, but will continue his role as President of Carvel.

About Cinnabon

Founded in Seattle in 1985 and now based in Atlanta, Cinnabon, Inc. is the market leader among cinnamon roll bakeries. The company serves fresh, aromatic, oven-hot cinnamon rolls, as well as a variety of other baked goods and specialty beverages. Cinnabon currently operates more than 770 franchised locations worldwide, primarily in high traffic venues such as shopping malls, airports, train stations, travel plazas, entertainment centers, academic institutions and military establishments. Visit www.cinnabon.com for more information, follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/CinnabonInc or become a Facebook fan at http://www.facebook.com/Cinnabon.

About FOCUS Brands

FOCUS Brands Inc. is the franchisor and operator of more than 3,300 ice cream stores, bakeries, restaurants, and cafes in 47 states and 42 countries under the brand names, Auntie Anne's®, Carvel®, Cinnabon®, Schlotzsky's®, Moe's Southwest Grill®, and the franchisor of Seattle's Best Coffee® on certain military bases and in certain international markets. Based in Atlanta, the primary objective of FOCUS Brands is to "FOCUS on making people happy." Please visit www.focusbrands.com to learn more.

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