i nter nat iona l Fr a nchising
table of Con t en ts
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What a franchise owner can expect from opening an Auntie Anne’s outlet is a chance to run their own business with the support, guidance, and training that comes with a global brand. While many business start-ups face the challenges of raising finance, in this case the bank is ready to support the right candidates, as the support network is so strong. -Stephen Downey Sub-Franchisee Owner for Northern Ireland & Development Agent for Ireland
WHAT IS AN AUNTIE ANNE’S PRETZEL?
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THE AUNTIE ANNE’S STORY
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UNIT GROWTH
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ROLLING IN RECOGNITION
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THE AUNTIE ANNE’S MENU
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SUPPORT
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VENUE OPTIONS
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STEPS TO BECOMING PART OF THE AUNTIE ANNE’S SYSTEM
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FEE STRUCTURE
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A STRONG CHOICE
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Thank you for your interest in Auntie Anne’s,
what is a n Au n t ie A n n e’s Pret zel?
the world’s largest hand-rolled soft pretzel franchise. In just over two decades, we have established a global presence, with locations in more than 20 countries.
Auntie Anne’s bakes soft pretzels in full view of its customers, and the pretzel dough is made from scratch on the premises. What exactly is an Auntie Anne’s pretzel? It is fresh, it is hot, it is golden brown, and because it is a bread-based product, it offers a unique, yet familiar experience for consumers around the world.
Along with being loved by consumers throughout the globe, we are also loved by our international master franchisees. They love our product, our brand, our flexible store designs, and our strong, proven business model.
Thanks for reading to learn more about the international opportunities Auntie Anne’s has to offer!
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Our Return Policy:
Try One
And You’ll Return.
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t he Au n t ie A n n e’s stor y
Humble Beginnings, Strong Foundations for Growth “Auntie” Anne Beiler began twisting soft pretzels in 1987 at a Maryland farmer’s market to help her husband, Jonas, achieve his goal of opening a free community counseling center. In February of the next year, Anne and Jonas purchased their own stand at a market in Pennsylvania. After some experimenting with their pretzel recipe, Anne and Jonas created a pretzel that was quickly dubbed, “better than the best you’ve ever tasted!”
opportunities for her new company, it didn’t take long for Auntie Anne’s to grow.
The following year, Anne launched Auntie
Within six years, 334 stores existed in 33 U.S.
Anne’s, Inc., and opened the first Auntie
states. The first international store opened
Anne’s Hand-Rolled Soft Pretzels store.
in 1995 in Jakarta, Indonesia. Later in that
Soon after Anne began offering franchising
same year, the first Auntie Anne’s opened
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in the Philippines. In 1996, stores opened in Malaysia and Singapore, and in 1998, a store opened in Thailand. As Auntie Anne’s continued to grow domestically, so too did the brand continue to expand overseas.
Auntie Anne’s, the Next Generation Auntie Anne’s, Inc. serves as a support
working at that Maryland farmer’s market
network to more than 300 franchisees. In
stand, Auntie Anne’s sold its 1 billionth
2009, the company had a record $353 million
pretzel. In 2005, Sam Beiler, the compa-
in systemwide sales. Auntie Anne’s rolls more
ny’s chairman and chief executive officer,
than 500,000 pretzels every two days. That is
purchased Auntie Anne’s, Inc. from Anne
enough to feed a pretzel to every person living
and Jonas. Today, Auntie Anne’s continues to
in Lancaster County, Pa., (home to Auntie
pride itself on achieving high product quality,
Anne’s, Inc.).
efficient operations, and the people-focused philosophies established by its founder. The company stands apart from its competitors due to its unwavering commitment to extending the brand, successful growth, and providing continued value for all stakeholders.
This focus has paid off, as 14 years after opening its first international location, Auntie Anne’s launched its first store in Mexico in 2009. This opening represented the company’s 200th international store in its 20th country. That same year, Auntie Anne’s opened its 1,000th store overall, located in Fresno, Calif.
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Auntie Anne’s has a unique brand philosophy and product line. There are no other products that compare. The nice aroma of freshly baked pretzels draw customers to our stores. The brand sells itself.
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Less than 20 years after Anne Beiler began
-Kayvalee Wongprecha General Manager (Auntie Anne’s), Central Restaurants Group Co., Ltd, Master Franchisee of Thailand
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Now over 20 years old, Auntie Anne’s is still
u n it Grow t h
growing fast! As you can see by this chart, our world renowned pretzels have placed us into more than 1,000 stores since the first Auntie Anne’s opened in 1988.
rol l i ng i n R ecogn i t ion
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Fra nSu r vey ® World-Class Franchise® Only surveyed company to achieve scores above 90% in key categories
TM
Fra nch ise Busi ness Rev iew Franchisee Satisfaction Awards | Best in Food Category
2009 Honoree
Franchisee Satisfaction Awards FranchiseBusinessREVIEW Sharing the franchise experience
TM
Ent repreneu r Franchise 500 | #1 in Pretzel Category America’s Top Global Franchises | #43 Fastest-Growing Franchises | #59
The legendary story of the pretzel’s origins fea-
t he Au n t ie A n n e’s menu
tures an Italian monk who decided to reward his students by serving them baked scraps of leftover dough. He rolled and twisted the dough to resemble his students, who folded their arms across their chests when praying. After baking the dough to a golden brown, he called the finished product “pretiolas,” Latin for “little rewards.” Auntie Anne’s “little rewards” come in a variety of flavors. The core product lineup includes Original, Cinnamon Sugar, and Almond pretzels, along with Stix and the Pretzel Dog. Dipping sauces and refreshing beverages, including the brand’s famous lemonade, are also an important part of the Auntie Anne’s menu. These snacks and meal options are convenient and portable for busy, active consumers.
The Auntie Anne’s menu can be customized to local flavors. For example, in Singapore, customers can order a Seaweed Pretzel. Visitors to an Auntie Anne’s in Saudi Arabia can enjoy a Kebab Twister, and in Thailand, the Golden Spring Pretzel Dog is a popular offering.
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Or ig i na l The pretzel that built an empire.
Ci n na mon Suga r The perfect choice for those who prefer a sweet and sugary treat.
A l mond Coated with a toasted almond toffee crunch, this pretzel pairs perfectly with caramel dipping sauce.
St i x Available in Original or Cinnamon Sugar, these on-the-go snacks are convenient for dipping.
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Pret zel Dog
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L emonade
One of our most popular menu items, this meal choice features an Auntie Anne’s Pretzel wrapped around a Nathan’s® Famous hot dog. Get it and go.
Made from our own famous recipe, this ice cold lemonade is an ideal beverage to complement our delicious pretzels.
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super ior Su pport
Prior to opening their first Auntie Anne’s store, international master franchisees will complete a comprehensive training program at Auntie Anne’s Corporate Headquarters in Lancaster, Pa. This program will provide instructions in areas that include the following:
• Site selection • Lease negotiation • Store design | Layout
During the first year of the license agreement,
• Equipment specifications
Auntie Anne’s provides personnel in the inter-
• Store construction
national master franchisee’s territory for up to
• Product preparation • Menu innovation • Store management
20 days. This will help to ensure operations run smoothly and the Auntie Anne’s concept is marketed effectively. During this time, Auntie Anne’s will also provide further guidance for
• Marketing | Promotions
developing training programs along with
• Cost analysis
management and development assistance.
• Store support | Business consulting
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ordinarily involves two visits to the country each year, during which time Auntie Anne’s will assist in maintaining the standards of the brand and communicate new developments to be implemented by the international master franchisee. Operations representatives of the international master franchisee will periodically visit the United States for additional training by Auntie Anne’s, Inc.
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When taking a food concept to a new country, sometimes aspects of the brand or operation get lost in translation. Auntie Anne’s has great operational procedures in place which makes it very easy to adapt the concept to new territories.
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Ongoing support provided by Auntie Anne’s
Ziad Kaddoura International Food Concepts, Master Franchisee for UAE and other select countries in the Middle East
i n-l i ne store Ven u e opt ions
Auntie Anne’s stores can be built to several standard designs, including in-line stores, kiosks, satellite retail units, and mobile units. Various designs can also be adapted to different locations based on the needs of the space available. Around the world,
ba k i ng k iosk
you will find Auntie Anne’s locations in shopping malls, airports, train stations, universities, outlet centers, and hypermarkets. In summary, high pedestrian traffic areas are the best places to open an Auntie Anne’s. Specifications on standard venue options are listed on the next page. For international store images, please visit AuntieAnnesFranchising.com
satel l ite reta i l u n it
• 25 to 40 square meters. • Minimum of 20 square meters. • Flexible designs to accommodate various spaces.
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• 16.76 square meters with utilities. • Additional 18.6 square meters (with utilities) needed for offsite storage.
• 7.5 square meters. • Flexible designs. • Square and linear models. • SRUs are ideal as second store locations in venues already featuring an Auntie Anne’s in-line store.
steps to becom i ng pa r t of t he Au n t ie A n n e’s s ystem
We look forward to working with you and welcoming you into the Auntie Anne’s system. The following steps outline the process our international master franchisees must follow to become part of Auntie Anne’s.
appl icat ion & d ia log ue The prospective international master franchisee submits a letter of interest along with an application. Discussion will take place to determine intentions, expectations, and the country or area of interest where the candidate wants to open a store or stores.
busi ness pla n Upon approval of the application and the decision to move forward, the candidate will submit a comprehensive business plan to Auntie Anne’s. A meeting will take place at Auntie Anne’s Corporate Headquarters after the business plan is completed, reviewed, and accepted. During this meeting, the plan will be presented to Auntie Anne’s management and terms will be discussed.
closi ng t he dea l & open i ng stores Following the business plan presentation, if both Auntie Anne’s and the prospective international master franchisee agree to move forward, Auntie Anne’s will draft a letter of intent to be signed by both parties. Once the letter of intent is signed, Auntie Anne’s will draft the license agreement. After the license agreement is finalized, Auntie Anne’s and the new international master franchisee will work together to open the first store(s)!
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fee St ruct u r e
i n it ia l l icense fee Typically $150,000 to $300,000 (U.S.) dependent on the size, population, and projected number of stores which could be opened.
ongoi ng roya lt ies Typically 5 percent of sales arising out of “direct managed� shops (those operated by the Master Franchisee itself), and 2.5 percent of sales from sub-franchised locations (U.S.).
Other fees include a minimum of $2,000 to be dedicated to local marketing and publicity within the country of each store opening. This fee is in lieu of a store opening fee. The international franchisee is also required to dedicate 1 percent of gross sales to advertising within their territory each year.
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i nterested i n lea r n i ng more? There are multiple ways to learn more about the Auntie Anne's brand. Check us out!
AuntieAnnes.com
Facebook.com/AuntieAnnesPretzels
AuntieAnnesFranchising.com
YouTube.com/AuntieAnnesPretzels
Twitter.com/AuntieAnnes
a St rong choice
In all economic climates, Auntie Anne’s products have stood the test of time as convenient and comforting snacks and meal options. Throughout our history, we have demonstrated consistent growth in sales and stores.
For over two decades, Auntie Anne’s has built its brand on the foundations of quality products, exceptional customer service, attractive, clean, and efficient stores, and the fun activity of making fresh pretzels in full view of consumers.
Auntie Anne’s is here for the long-term and seeks high-caliber international master franchisees to continue worldwide growth. Auntie Anne’s Corporate Headquarters 48-50 West Chestnut Street | Suite 200 Lancaster, PA 17603 | USA Telephone: 1-877-778-9588, option 3 or 717-435-1479 (outside of the U.S.) Fax: 717-435-1471 E-mail: LindaE@auntieannesinc.com International@auntieannesinc.com
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AuntieAnnes.com