Launching a business is never as simple as it looks from the outside. Between navigating licensing, securing prime retail space, and dealing with unexpected delays, the road to opening day can test even the most determined founders.
For Maria Frantzen, the German entrepreneur behind Cinnamore, the city’s newest bakery in Al Wasl’s Box Park, the journey from idea to reality was anything but straightforward.
Maria did not come from a traditional culinary background or a plush hospitality school. Instead, she arrived in Dubai four years ago with her Lebanese husband, Sami Al Moustafa, a shared love for food, and a strong creative streak. “I’ve always been super creative,” she said. “I stitched clothes, ran a YouTube channel for it, and loved experimenting in the kitchen. Baking cinnamon rolls started as a weekend hobby, but it quickly turned into something we believed in.”
Turning belief into business proved harder. A poor choice of contractor nearly derailed the project, delaying the bakery’s opening by a year. “We were supposed to launch in August 2024, but it only happened in August 2025,” she recalled. “Everything was ready. We had ordered coffee beans, visas completed, and staff lined up, but nothing was handed over. It was a painful setback.”
Such experiences are familiar to many startups in Dubai. Prime locations are difficult to secure, with big developers reluctant to take a chance on new ventures.
“Startups aren’t trusted easily for premium spots,” Maria admitted. Yet the eventual Box Park location turned out to be an advantage. “Now we have free parking and are surrounded by strong zones. In hindsight, the delay worked in our favour.”
Once open, Cinnamore immediately stood out. Maria’s cinnamon rolls, inspired by her German roots, are chewier and firmer than the typical American variety. Customers embraced the difference, and despite a modest following online, word-of-mouth turned the bakery into a local favourite. “I only had 1,000 TikTok followers, but the support was overwhelming,” she said.
The timing of the launch made the community’s response even more meaningful. Maria and her husband welcomed their first child just a week before opening. “The love and support I got here is not something I could have expected back home,” she said.
