American fast-food chains have slowly been making their way to the UK, but are they living up to the hype? Will the strange location of the new Cinnabon in Scotland push new customers away?
For all the UK readers who haven’t heard of Cinnabon before, Cinnabon is an American baked goods chain that puts its twist on the classic cinnamon bun. The chain first reached the UK in December 2020.
Like most trends, Scotland has had to wait a few years for the store to arrive, but that hasn’t stopped Scots from selling out the famous cinnamon buns.
Location
Scotland’s first Cinnabon opened on July 26, 2024, in The Centre in Livingston, West Lothian. Livingston may not sound familiar to those not from Scotland or the UK, and the location is even puzzling to us Scots.
Livingston is only 15 miles from Edinburgh and 30 miles from Glasgow. Usually, we would expect American chains to open in the busiest cities, but not this time. However, Cinnabon may have picked the perfect location for their first Scottish store, and I am here to tell you why.
Although not famous for the beautiful architecture like Edinburgh or the people that make Glasgow, Livingston is popular in its own right. The biggest town in West Lothian draws millions of people each year for shopping.
Customers can score deals on popular brands such as Nike, Tommy Hilfiger, and North Face at Livingston Designer Outlet. Next door to the designer outlet is The Centre, where the new Cinnabon is located.
This shopping center is the 28th largest in the UK; this is impressive, considering Livingston is only classed as a town. The Centre is home to over 150 shops and places to eat from, including Primark, Boots, and JD Sports.
The Location of this Cinnabon would mean traveling for most; however, with so many other things to do and see in the town, this may not be the worst thing. The town also has excellent transport links from Glasgow and Edinburgh.
First impressions
Livingston is an hour and a half drive from my home, and I arrived at the Cinnabon at 2 p.m. on a Monday. Parking wasn’t an issue as there are many car parks to choose from. £1.50 was spent on parking for a two-hour stay.
Once in The Centre, Cinnabon was easy to find as it was in the middle of the shopping center’s ground floor as you walked through the main door. A queue of around seven people lay ahead.
Once arriving in the queue, the mini store came into view. The first thing I noticed was how clean and well-presented the small store was. Although the store was smaller than expected, it fit nicely into the large shopping center.
The wait in the queue was around five minutes to reach the cashier and then a further five minutes to receive the order.
Cinnabon has five different kinds of buns to choose from, and I ordered one of each plus an extra original bun. As it was late in the afternoon, the majority of the regular-sized buns were sold out, but the minis did the job.
I also ordered a large classic lemonade, and the total spent in Cinnabon came to £16.78.
UK vs US
It was disappointing that there were only five kinds of Cinnabon to choose from, considering the US menu appeared to be larger. This did eventually make sense as to why a smaller menu was offered in Scotland.
Cinnabon’s limited options may be because the popularity might not be the same as in the US. The menu may be expanded on in time if the store is proven popular. As mentioned before, the store was also small, meaning staff members had limited space to make many kinds of buns.
The choices of drinks were surprising, and although there were fewer than in the US, there was something for everyone.
Cinnabon also offered packs of two, four, and six, which is similar to the US and saves money when wanting to buy multiple buns.
The hype around Cinnabon was huge when it first opened. I thought it was tasy but underwhelming.
Holly Milne – first time customer at Cinnabon
Taste test
After purchasing, the Cinnabons were taken home to heat up as this was what was stated on the box.
The Bons survived the car journey home and were easily heated up using the microwave. The minibons only required 20 seconds, plus an added four extra seconds for any other bon. They can also be heated up in an oven if preferred.
So, from best to worst, here are my thoughts on Scotland’s first Cinnabon.
1. Lotus Biscoff Mini Bon
This was by far the best Mini Bon that they had to offer.
Although I’ve never understood the popularity of Biscoff, the flavor of both the Bon and the Biscoff complemented each other excellently. The Biscoff topping also added a nice crunch.
This would be the first thing I would order if I took another trip to Cinnabon.
2. Classic Cinnabon Mini
I thought this would be my favorite; however, it just missed out on the top spot. The classic bon was exactly what you would expect.
The cinnamon flavor was strong but not overpowering, perfect for cinnamon lovers. However, there could have been more classic icing on the Bon, as this is what Cinnabon is known for.
If lack of icing is an issue for you like it was me, Cinnabon sells pots of icing and other sauces.
3. Caramel Pecanbon Mini
The Pecanbon lands somewhere in the middle for me. The cinnamon flavor was strong throughout, however the pecans felt out of place on this sweet treat.
For all the nut lovers out there, Cinnabon also sells extra portions of pecan nuts if the Bon just isn’t enough.
Even with the extra nuts and extra sauce portions available to buy, I don’t think I would be racing back to Cinnabon to buy this again.
4. Chocobon with Oreo Mini
Spot number 4 belongs to the Oreo chocobon. This Bon was only good because of the Oreo pieces scattered on the top.
The chocolate sauce that the Bon was smothered in tasted like cheap chocolate sauce from the supermarket. Although the Bon was smothered in sauce, it still tasted dry, and the Bon was hard.
I would not repurchase in the future.
5. Chocobon Mini
This was the least favorite of the five Cinnabons. The Bon was dry and hard, and the chocolate sauce was not what was expected of such a popular chain.
I had high hopes for this one as it appeared to give different flavors other than cinnamon, however, I would not repurchase it in the future.
This Bon could be improved by adding dipping sauces that Cinnabon also offers.
The Future
Cinnabon was a good experience, and with its location, a simple visit to Cinnabon can be made into a day out. The first Cinnabon in Scotland seems to be a hit amongst other people living in Scotland.
Although the idea of Cinnabon is fun and efficient, like Starbucks for example, I expected more from an American business. The Bons were pretty to look at but lacked frosting and were hard.
I would, instead, recommend the Aldi cinnamon buns, which cost £1.25, to anyone on a budget who also wants to try Cinnabon. Cinnabon was not as expensive as I previously thought; however, there are cheaper and better alternatives.
Just like Cinnabon, many more American fast-food chains are set to open in the UK. Chick-fil-A and Dave’s Hot Chicken are rumored to open their first UK stores at the end of this year and the beginning of 2025.
Chains like Taco Bell have been in the UK and Scotland for quite some time and are doing well, so there is hope that Cinnabon will remain.
Cinnabon may not have had the wow factor I had hoped for or lived up to its social media fame. However, the success of this store could be the beginning of American fast-food chains making their way to Scotland rapidly.
Cinnabons small letdown certainly won’t discourage me from trying what America offers in the future.
