Cinnaholic opened in the Edgewood Retail District earlier this summer and has been filling the hearts — and tummies — of Atlantans ever since. Straight out of California, this is the first Cinnaholic to open on the East Coast — and the eatery is taking cinnamon rolls to the next level by letting customers customize their own creations. Plot twist: Everything — and we mean everything — in the store is vegan.
Upon entering the cozy shop, you’re greeted with the familiar, spicy smell of cinnamon rolls — but you may gasp when you notice the huge menu. Really, there are 30 different frosting flavors and toppings to choose from. If choosing among them proves to be too daunting, you’re welcome to sample the frostings until you find the one that tickles your fancy. Frosting flavors include blackberry, butterscotch, macadamia nut and more, and a gigantic topping list includes choices like peaches, gingersnap cookies, pie crumble and strawberry jam, just to name a few.
Opting for the most nutritious breakfast possible on a Sunday morning, we tried the Cookies and Cream and S’mores cinnamon rolls. The Cookies and Cream bun is topped with an Oreo frosting and adorned with even more Oreo pieces. The S’mores is loaded with vanilla frosting, mini marshmallows, chocolate sauce and graham crackers. Both were the delicious equivalent of a hug: soft, warm and … gooey(?). Place these vegan cinnamon rolls next to traditional ones and you probably couldn’t tell the difference.
Both of these were about $5 each and paired splendidly with locally roasted Octane coffee (remember, almond milk or soy milk creamers only at this vegan-friendly shop). It should be noted that unless you have a raging appetite (or sweet tooth), you should plan on sharing your massive bun or saving some for later (They reheat nicely after a few seconds in the microwave.).
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If the store’s name rings a bell, that’s because the owners, Florian and Shannon Radke, recently appeared on ABC’s “The Shark Tank.” On the show, they struck a deal with Robert Herjavec but ultimately turned it down. “(Robert) wanted more of an online presence but they wanted to go in a more brick-and-mortar direction,” says Jarrod Nackley, the Atlanta shop’s operating partner. Since their appearance on the popular TV show, they’ve made plans to open at least 25 more stores. Eight of those will be in the Atlanta area and the college kids in Athens get their own shop later this summer.
Other than one small decal on a display case, the shop isn’t very “in your face” about its vegan products. Jarrod, a himself a non-vegan, says, “The quality of the product, regardless of being vegan, is just good.” While it may be an afterthought to him, it’s certainly not for a large part of the customer base. “People have driven really far to try us — (from) Loganville, Dahlonega. People are so excited,” he animatedly explains.
By the way, don’t overlook the other baked goods! The chocolate chip cookies are chewy and loaded with chocolate, and brownies are also up for grabs. If you don’t want to commit to a big bun, you can try a few of the customizable minis, which are ideal for bite-size snacking.
Cinnaholic is located at 1230 Caroline St. NE, Atlanta, GA 30307. You can visit the shop seven days a week, from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. For more information, visit Cinnaholic or call (404) 343-0805.
Watch Cinnaholic on Shark Tank:
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