Industry Restaurants Website AuntieAnnes.com | Key people William P. Dunn Jr. Parent organization Focus Brands | |
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Headquarters Lancaster, Pennsylvania, United States Founded 2 February 1988, Downingtown, Pennsylvania, United States Founders Anne F. Beiler, Jonas Z. Beiler Profiles | ||
How to make an auntie anne s pretzel
Auntie Anne's, based in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, is an American chain of pretzel shops founded by Anne 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. The chain has more than 1,500 locations around the world, in malls, outlet centers, and Walmarts, as well as non-traditional spaces including universities, airports, travel plazas, amusement parks, and military bases.
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History
The chain started as a market stand in the Downingtown, Pennsylvania Farmer's Market in 1988. 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. 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.
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.
In October 2005, it was announced that the Auntie Anne's corporate headquarters would be relocated from the town of Gap to downtown Lancaster. The former site of the Lancaster Post Office was purchased for $7 million by Auntie Anne's, Inc. The building itself was constructed in 1927, and stands at three stories tall on about 1.5 acres (6,100 m2). 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.
In November 2010, FOCUS Brands acquired Auntie Anne's.
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 "Food Court Wars".
Auntie Anne's founder Anne Beiler appeared in the 2013 season premier of the television show The Secret Millionaire in which she masqueraded as a volunteer at the Baltimore-based food non-profit Moveable Feast, and then made a donation to the charity.