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Auntie Anne's

Auntie Anne's is an American franchised chain of pretzel shops founded by Anne F. Beiler and her husband, Jonas, in 1988. Auntie Anne's serves products such as pretzels, dips, and beverages. They also offer Pretzels & More Homemade Baking Mix for those who want to make their pretzels at home.[3] The chain has more than 1,200 stores around various locations, such as in shopping malls and outlet malls, as well as non-traditional retail spaces including universities, parking/rest areas, airports, train stations, travel plazas, amusement parks, and military bases. Their slogan as of 2025 is "Get Twisted".

History

The chain started as a market stand in the Downingtown, Pennsylvania, Farmer's Market in 1988. A second location opened in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania at the Broad Street Market in 1988 before franchising.[4] The franchise began when a store location opened at Saturday's Market in Middletown, Pennsylvania. Auntie Anne's celebrated their 100th store opening in Granite Run Mall, Media, Pennsylvania, in 1992.[5] In 1995, the first train station location opened at Penn Station in New York City. This year also brought the opening of the first international Auntie Anne's store in Jakarta, Indonesia.

In October 2006, it was announced that the Auntie Anne's corporate headquarters would be relocated from the town of Gap, Pennsylvania, to downtown Lancaster.[6] The former site of the Lancaster Post Office was purchased and given minor renovations for about $7 million[6] by Auntie Anne's, Inc. Constructed in 1927, the three-story building stands on about 1.5 acre. The building maintains the original 1920s features such as brass doors, high ceilings, and skylights. The Lancaster Post Office was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.[7]

In November 2010, Atlanta franchisor Focus Brands (now known as GoTo Foods), a portfolio company of private equity firm Roark Capital, acquired Auntie Anne's.[8] William P. Dunn Jr. was the company's president and its chief operating officer from 2013 to 2015.[9] Heather Leed Neary became the company's president in 2015.[10]

International locations

Auntie Anne's now has over 600 international locations, including many across Europe, namely the United Kingdom.[11] Locations in Asia include Brunei, Cambodia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia,[12] Philippines, Egypt, Saudi Arabia,[13] Jordan, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam, while in the Americas there are sites in Costa Rica, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago. There are plans to start stores in China.[14]

In overseas markets, the restaurants have made significant alterations to coexist with local sensibilities, including changing recipes to conform to halal in Malaysia.[12]

On July 26, 2025, Auntie Anne's would open its first location in Australia at Westfield Parramatta Shopping Centre.[15]

Community service and charitable activity

From 1999 through 2009, Auntie Anne's and its franchisees partnered to donate more than $4.5 million to local children's hospitals across the country through the Children's Miracle Network. Auntie Anne's has also supported the pediatric cancer charity Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation since 2011.[16]

Auntie Anne's began a partnership with Food Donation Connection in 2011, matching stores throughout the country with local hunger relief organizations to donate extra pretzel products.

In 2013, Anne and Auntie Anne's was featured in the reality TV series Food Court Wars. Auntie Anne's founder Anne Beiler appeared in the 2013 season premiere of the television show The Secret Millionaire in which she masqueraded as a volunteer at the Baltimore-based food non-profit organization Moveable Feast. She also made a donation to the charity.[17]

In popular culture

Anne Beiler's autobiography "Twist Of Faith: The Story of Anne Beiler, Founder of Auntie Anne's Pretzels[18]" is currently being adapted into a feature film biopic, produced by Called Higher Studios and written by Mark Charran and Beth Goldberg.

Sustainability

In 2021, Auntie Anne's committed to sourcing 100% cage-free eggs in the US and Canada by 2026 and by 2028 globally.[19]

See also

External links

References

  1. Number of Auntie Anne's locations auntieannes.com, 2021^
  2. Auntie Anne's Annual Report U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission^
  3. Pretzels & More Homemade Baking Mix auntieannes.com, Auntie Anne's Inc., retrieved October 9, 2014^
  4. History of Auntie Anne's, Inc. – FundingUniverse www.fundinguniverse.com, retrieved 2023-05-15^
  5. Anne Beiler. Twist of Faith: The Story of Anne Beiler, Founder of Auntie Anne's Pretzels Thomas Nelson, 2010-01-11^
  6. Patrick Burns. Auntie Anne's HQ to move downtown Intelligencer Journal, October 11, 2006, retrieved April 17, 2017^
  7. {{NRISref|version=2010a}}^
  8. Elissa Elan. Focus Brands to acquire Auntie Anne's NRN.com; Nation's Restaurant News, October 8, 2010, retrieved April 17, 2017^
  9. Executive Team auntieannes.com, Auntie Anne's Inc., retrieved 2013-03-03^
  10. Tim Mekeel. Auntie Anne's Promotes Neary to President LancasterOnline.com, November 24, 2015, retrieved January 15, 2016^
  11. International franchise plans UK expansion thefranchisemagazine.net, retrieved 17 April 2017^
  12. Auntie Anne's in Malaysia confirms 'pretzel dog' now 'pretzel sausage' to satisfy halal cert retrieved 17 April 2017^
  13. Auntie Anne's Franchise Franchise Moves, retrieved 2023-01-22^
  14. Cinnabon, Auntie Anne's seeks China franchisees insideretail.asia, 14 December 2016, retrieved 17 April 2017^
  15. Claudia Poposki. People line up from 4am for huge US food chain opening in Sydney news.com.au, July 27, 2025^
  16. Tilt Blog News Piece Tilt Blog, retrieved August 25, 2014^
  17. Catherine Nailog. Best of the Week: Secret Millionaire on ABC ParentsTV.org, Parents Television Council, August 8, 2013, retrieved October 26, 2015^
  18. A Twist of Faith: The Auntie Anne's Story retrieved 2024-07-19^
  19. Cinnabon, Auntie Annie's, JAMBA commit to source 100% cage-free eggs WATTPoultry.com, 2021-12-09, retrieved 2025-11-19^