Brian Ghazale is the local franchisee behind Cinnaholic, a vegan bakery planning to open at Winterfield Crossing in July. (Photos courtesy Cinnaholic)
The first of what could be a handful of vegan bakeries to rise in the area is ready to open its doors.
Cinnaholic franchisee Brian Ghazale is preparing to open the chain’s first local location at 14225 Winterview Parkway in the Winterfield Crossing shopping center.
The bakery will serve vegan cinnamon rolls, cookies, brownies and other baked goods. It’s slated to hold its grand opening July 26.
Ghazale said Cinnaholic sets itself apart from similar concepts with a menu built on animal-free ingredients, as well as a wide selection of toppings and icings for the company’s cinnamon rolls. Rolls can feature vanilla, almond, banana cream and other frostings, as well as toppings such as apple, blueberries and chocolate sauce.
Cinnaholic uses beet-derived baking sugars in its products, all of which are vegan, as well as gelatin-free marshmallows, according to the company’s website.
Cinnaholic has a vegan menu of cinnamon rolls, cookies and other sweets.
Ghazale declined to comment on the cost to open his first Cinnaholic, which will open in a 1,000-square-foot space next to the Apricot Lane Boutique in Winterfield Crossing. The company’s website stated that the average estimated build-out for a franchise is between $241,000 and $527,000, which includes the franchise fee of $40,000.
Ghazale liked the Midlothian shopping center for his first location because he said he thinks there’s less competition in that area compared to other parts of the region. He said that gives him breathing room to ease into the business before expanding.
“Short Pump, as nice as it is, is busy. It feels like New York. You’re fighting everyone for business, and here you’re like the only game in town,” he said.
Cinnaholic joins a center anchored by grocery store Aldi and coworking chain Gather. Also at Winterfield Crossing are brewery Triple Crossing and Virginia Credit Union among others. Roots Natural Kitchen is planning to open a location at the development.
Ghazale said he thinks the Richmond region could handle four or five locations of Cinnaholic, and he’s interested in opening additional locations in Carytown, Short Pump and on Hull Street Road.
Ghazale discovered Cinnaholic a few years ago on a visit to Knoxville, Tennessee. The University of Tennessee alum, who attended the school in the ’90s, makes a point to return to campus to take in a football game once a year. During a late 2010s visit he and friends decided on a whim to try out a Cinnaholic in Knoxville and walked away impressed.
“We ate and we left and didn’t know it was vegan,” he said.
Later, Ghazale landed on Cinnaholic as his next business move after a nearly 20-year stint as the co-owner of a Chesapeake gas station that he said did a brisk business selling food. He and his brother sold the gas station in 2022. Before that, he was a meteorologist at NY1, a cable news channel in New York City.
Cinnaholic opened its first location in Berkeley, California. Now based in Atlanta, the chain has more than 100 locations in 22 states, according to a company spokeswoman.
The upcoming Midlothian location would be the first Cinnaholic to open in the Richmond region. Another franchisee was planning in 2018 to open a location of the brand in Short Pump but those plans ultimately didn’t materialize, the spokeswoman said.
There are also Cinnaholics in Virginia Beach and Northern Virginia run by other franchisees.
Brian Ghazale is the local franchisee behind Cinnaholic, a vegan bakery planning to open at Winterfield Crossing in July. (Photos courtesy Cinnaholic)
The first of what could be a handful of vegan bakeries to rise in the area is ready to open its doors.
Cinnaholic franchisee Brian Ghazale is preparing to open the chain’s first local location at 14225 Winterview Parkway in the Winterfield Crossing shopping center.
The bakery will serve vegan cinnamon rolls, cookies, brownies and other baked goods. It’s slated to hold its grand opening July 26.
Ghazale said Cinnaholic sets itself apart from similar concepts with a menu built on animal-free ingredients, as well as a wide selection of toppings and icings for the company’s cinnamon rolls. Rolls can feature vanilla, almond, banana cream and other frostings, as well as toppings such as apple, blueberries and chocolate sauce.
Cinnaholic uses beet-derived baking sugars in its products, all of which are vegan, as well as gelatin-free marshmallows, according to the company’s website.
Cinnaholic has a vegan menu of cinnamon rolls, cookies and other sweets.
Ghazale declined to comment on the cost to open his first Cinnaholic, which will open in a 1,000-square-foot space next to the Apricot Lane Boutique in Winterfield Crossing. The company’s website stated that the average estimated build-out for a franchise is between $241,000 and $527,000, which includes the franchise fee of $40,000.
Ghazale liked the Midlothian shopping center for his first location because he said he thinks there’s less competition in that area compared to other parts of the region. He said that gives him breathing room to ease into the business before expanding.
“Short Pump, as nice as it is, is busy. It feels like New York. You’re fighting everyone for business, and here you’re like the only game in town,” he said.
Cinnaholic joins a center anchored by grocery store Aldi and coworking chain Gather. Also at Winterfield Crossing are brewery Triple Crossing and Virginia Credit Union among others. Roots Natural Kitchen is planning to open a location at the development.
Ghazale said he thinks the Richmond region could handle four or five locations of Cinnaholic, and he’s interested in opening additional locations in Carytown, Short Pump and on Hull Street Road.
Ghazale discovered Cinnaholic a few years ago on a visit to Knoxville, Tennessee. The University of Tennessee alum, who attended the school in the ’90s, makes a point to return to campus to take in a football game once a year. During a late 2010s visit he and friends decided on a whim to try out a Cinnaholic in Knoxville and walked away impressed.
“We ate and we left and didn’t know it was vegan,” he said.
Later, Ghazale landed on Cinnaholic as his next business move after a nearly 20-year stint as the co-owner of a Chesapeake gas station that he said did a brisk business selling food. He and his brother sold the gas station in 2022. Before that, he was a meteorologist at NY1, a cable news channel in New York City.
Cinnaholic opened its first location in Berkeley, California. Now based in Atlanta, the chain has more than 100 locations in 22 states, according to a company spokeswoman.
The upcoming Midlothian location would be the first Cinnaholic to open in the Richmond region. Another franchisee was planning in 2018 to open a location of the brand in Short Pump but those plans ultimately didn’t materialize, the spokeswoman said.
There are also Cinnaholics in Virginia Beach and Northern Virginia run by other franchisees.
As a Midlothian area resident, I’m lookingg forward to eating way too many cinnamon rolls here! Thank you for opening here.