ATLANTA — Focus Brands, a franchisor and operator of more than 6,000 restaurants, cafes, ice cream shoppes, stores and bakeries, has signed an agreement with franchise group Fresh Dining Concepts that will expand its Auntie Anne’s and Cinnabon brands beyond the traditional mall setting.

As part of the deal, Fresh Dining Concepts will open 10 co-branded Auntie Anne’s and Cinnabon locations in the five New York City boroughs over the next four years. There are currently 105 Auntie Anne’s and Cinnabon co-brand locations across the United States.

With locations in 50 states and more than 28 countries, Auntie Anne’s offers soft pretzels, pretzel nuggets and pretzel dogs while Cinnabon serves fresh cinnamon rolls, baked foods and specialty beverages at more than 1,700 franchised locations worldwide. Cinnabon is also a multi-channel licensor, focused on driving multi-channel growth across consumer relevant occasions whether on the go, in grocery stores, schools, at home or in the office.

“We’re looking to accelerate our multi-brand franchise development efforts in new and existing markets,” said Brian Krause, chief development officer of Focus Brands. “Our insights are showing that guests want more convenience and are looking to access our brands in a variety of ways. Putting brands like Auntie Anne’s and Cinnabon together makes them far more accessible than they would be individually. Partnering with an industry leader like Fresh Dining Concepts, who really understands the power and benefits of co-branding, gives us the chance to expand in priority markets like New York City.”

Luis San Miguel, president and chief executive officer of Fresh Dining Concepts, said the company “immediately jumped onboard” when the opportunity to grow with street side co-brand locations presented itself.

“Auntie Anne’s and Cinnabon are iconic brands that are similar from an operations standpoint and the menus complement each other very well,” Mr. San Miguel said. “There’s immense value in co-branding, not only from an operations and real estate perspective, but it’s also becoming the guest’s preference as a one-stop-shop for snacking, no matter their craving. Focus Brands’ specialty brands are leading the way in this area, and we’re excited to work together to give our guests across the five boroughs more access to Auntie Anne’s and Cinnabon.”

Focus Brands currently has 150 co-brand locations in airports, malls, street side venues, collage campuses, travel plazas and entertainment venues and is continually refining its approach to build the co-brand strategy.

“We recognize the power that comes with Focus Brands’ seven iconic brands and we really want to give the brands and their franchisees a competitive edge,” Mr. Krause said. “It’s an exciting time at Focus Brands and we look forward to tapping into new co-brand opportunities across the country for years to come.”

In addition to Auntie Anne’s and Cinnabon, Focus Brands’ affiliate brands include Jamba, Carvel, Moe’s Southwest Grill, McAlister’s Deli and Schlotzsky’s.