Tis the season…for pretzels

Auntie Anne’s, the world’s largest soft pretzel brand, is searching for first class franchisees to grow with in 2020

It’s that magical time of the year again: the air is cold, the days are short and the present buying frenzy has begun. So what better way to break up a busy shopping trip than a delicious soft pretzel straight from the oven?

Auntie Anne’s is the world’s largest soft pretzel brand and is searching for first class franchisees to grow with in 2020. 2019 proved to be a fantastic year for the brand, opening five new sites in the UK and Ireland. In addition, Auntie Anne’s first central London flagship store is opening in mid-December. The brand also saw positive like for like growth in 2019, which considering the tough retail environment is a great achievement.

Strong year ahead

2020 is set to be another strong year for the brand, with a number of new stores in the pipeline for the first quarter, including Windsor, Bristol and Auntie Anne’s second store in Cardiff. However, with 12-15 stores as a target, there are plenty more opportunities to join the business as a franchisee and open your own Auntie Anne’s store in a prime high footfall location.

The company will help you find the perfect location, negotiate the deal with the landlord, design your store and project manage the shopfit, help recruit your first team of employees, train you in its state of the art training kitchen at Auntie Anne’s headquarters and support you with your grand opening event. Once your store is open, Auntie Anne’s will be there to guide and advise you in all areas of the business.

Store formats

Traditionally, Auntie Anne’s stores have been located in shopping centres, but increasingly the company is expanding its formats and looking at different types of stores in order to target more customers.

Its Bakery Café stores require bigger units with seating and offer Auntie Anne’s full product range. Customers can sit and relax and enjoy their freshly made pretzel in a comfortable, relaxing environment.

The company’s grab and go units - either kiosks or street side units - are perfect for fast paced, busy environments in shopping centres, travel hubs or city centres where a quick, convenient snack on the go is in demand.

Auntie Anne’s newest format store is a self contained kiosk inside a converted shipping container, which is perfect for outdoor shopping centres, retail parks and designer outlets.

Got the drive?

The company is looking for driven franchise prospects who are experienced in managing teams of employees and, ideally, have experience in the food industry.

Running your own Auntie Anne’s store involves a continuous cycle of hand rolling and baking fresh pretzels and other products throughout the day, delivering excellent customer service and leading your team to drive sales and maximise returns.

At a glance Auntie Anne’s

Established:

1988

Number of franchised outlets:

39 in the UK

Location of units:

40 in the UK. Over 2000 globally

Investment range:

£140,000-£200,000

Minimum required capital:

£40,000

Contact:

Victoria Gale auntieannesfranchising.co.uk