International Snack Favorite Looks to Bring More Dough to St. Paul

By: Auntie Anne's | 1 Shares 94 Reads

Soft Pretzel Icon Auntie Anne's Focuses on Adding New Franchise at Maplewood Mall

August 10, 2011 // Franchising.com // LANCASTER, PA. – Looking to build off its already strong presence in the Twin Cities, executives with soft pretzel chain Auntie Anne's have organized a local seminar in St. Paul with the goal of finding the right franchise partner to operate a location in Maplewood Mall by early next year.

With more than 760,000 Auntie Anne's soft pretzels consumed in the Minneapolis/St. Paul last year alone, including its Mall of America and Rosedale Shopping Mall locations, fanatics of the baked snack are rising faster than dough. Auntie Anne's, 1,130 units, is embarking on a mission to feed St. Paul's crave for baked, hand-rolled treats by bringing a new location to the popular local shopping center.

"We're certain Maplewood Mall shoppers will love the Auntie Anne's experience, so we're committed to finding a business savvy franchise partner who shares in our community-oriented values," said Melé Sarmiento, Director of Franchise Sales and Development for Auntie Anne's. "We're eager to become the new place in town where locals can frequent for a break in their day and enjoy a delicious treat."

Armed with the World-Class Franchise® Certification seal and a growing fan club, Auntie Anne's is giving a local entrepreneur the opportunity to serve up the world's tastiest pretzel as a rewarding business venture. Entrepreneurs take a quick liking to Auntie Anne's franchise opportunity because of the corporate support center team's expert guidance and assistance during the start-up phase and day-to-day operations. For every three franchisees in the system, Auntie Anne's boasts one corporate employee. Moreover, 97 percent of Auntie Anne's franchisees would recommend the franchise opportunity to another entrepreneur according to the Franchise Research Institute.

"The expert support that our franchise partners receive from the corporate support center allows individuals of various experience levels to own a local store while receiving support from a proven, national brand," said Sarmiento.

Although the flagship Auntie Anne's was featured at a farmer's market in Downingtown, Pa., pretzel lovers can now find locations in malls, outlet centers, colleges and universities, transportation sites, and other non-traditional shopping and entertainment centers. Auntie Anne's core pretzel lineup includes Original, Cinnamon Sugar, Almond, Pepperoni, Sour Cream and Onion and Garlic, and the product line also features Pretzel Dogs, and signature frozen drinks and numerous sauces for dipping.

Since the company's humble inception 23 years ago, Lancaster-based Auntie Anne's has experienced 21 years of positive sales, proving that the soft economy is no problem for the soft pretzel giant. In November 2010, Auntie Anne's was acquired by FOCUS Brands Inc. ®, the franchisor and operator of over 2,200 Carvel®, Cinnabon®, Schlotzsky's®, Moe's Southwest Grill® and Seattle's Best Coffee®.

For more information about the Auntie Anne's franchise opportunity and to witness franchisee testimonials, please visit www.auntieannesfranchising.com

ABOUT AUNTIE ANNE'S

An award-winning franchise system, Auntie Anne's is consistently ranked number one in the category of hand-rolled soft pretzels by Entrepreneur's Franchise 500, has received the World-Class Franchise® honor (the most prestigious award in franchising) for the past five years, and "Best in Food Category" for Franchise Business Review's 2009 and 2010 Franchisee Satisfaction Awards. The foundations of Auntie Anne's success lie in the collaborative partnership between the franchisor and franchisees and a targeted growth strategy focused on the best locations and partners. Auntie Anne's continues to look for qualified partners from around the world to grow with the company. For more information, visit www.auntieannesfranchising.com.

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