The company was founded in 1985 by husband and wife, Ted and Joyce Rice. Ted was a cameraman for KCTV Channel 5 and Joyce was a fifth-grade teacher. The first T.J. Cinnamons opened in the Ward Parkway Shopping Center in Kansas City, Missouri, in January 1985. At the time, the cinnamon rolls cost $1.25.[1]
By 1989, the company had more than 230 outlets in the U.S. and Canada.[citation needed]
In 1996, T.J.Cinnamons was bought by Arby's,[2] which was a subsidiary of Triarc Companies. In 2011, Triarc Companies (which is now known as The Wendy's Company) sold 81.5% of Arby's to Roark Capital Group,[2] although the T.J. Cinnamons chain remained with the Wendy's Company. Many Arby's locations continue to feature T.J. Cinnamons despite Roark (through its subsidiary Focus Brands) owning its more well-known rival, Cinnabon.[3][4]