Vegan bakery seen on ‘Shark Tank’ to open new location in Belmont

Swoon now, sweet roll lovers. Customizable cinnamon buns are headed to a second spot in the Charlotte area, and a third location will soon follow. 

Customers at the all-vegan Cinnaholic bakeries choose among a variety of signature frosting flavors and toppings to customize a treat just how they want it. Lemon frosting with raspberries on top? They can do that. Caramel frosting topped apples, pretzels and pecans? They can do that, too. 

An exact opening date isn’t set yet for Cinnaholic’s second location at 915 S. Southport Road in Belmont. When the doors open in late April or early May, it will join an existing shop in Indian Trail. A third is set to open soon in Concord. 

The plant-based franchise was founded upon a commitment that all its ingredients must be animal-free — which means no dairy, lactose, eggs or cholesterol — making its sweets friendly for many customers with dietary restrictions.

“I’m so excited to bring such a delicious and allergy-friendly dessert to my community,” said Carrie Tanner, who co-owns the new Belmont bakery with her significant other, Junior Bailey.

The gourmet bakery gained national attention on the ABC show “Shark Tank,” where they were offered a deal focused on nationwide shipping. Later, they shifted course to instead focus on opening new storefronts. The fast-growing franchise founded in Berkeley, Calif., has since opened other locations in Tennessee, Georgia, Texas, Idaho, Utah, Nevada, Maryland, Washington, Florida and Canada.

This story was originally published April 1, 2019 at 10:03 PM with the headline "Vegan bakery seen on ‘Shark Tank’ to open new location in Belmont."