Our Story - Auntie Annes (2024)

FAQs

What is the story behind Auntie Anne's pretzels? ›

“Auntie” Anne Beiler started baking pretzels to help fund her husband's desire to provide free family counseling services for their community.

Instead, they mix hot (but not boiling) water with baking soda until the baking soda dissolves, then dunk the pretzels in that solution prior to baking. According to The Daily Meal, the baking soda solution slapped onto each pretzel is what gives them that signature Auntie Anne's crust.

Today, Beiler is focused on her motivational speaking career, as well as her writing projects. She has published several books about her faith, her family and her pretzels, including “Twist of Faith: The Story of Anne Beiler, the Founder of Auntie Anne's Pretzels.”

The Auntie Anne's franchise is spread over 1,200 locations, including shopping malls, outlet malls, universities, airports, parking/rest areas, travel plazas, train stations, military bases, and amusem*nt parks. Since 2010, the company has operated under the slogan “Pretzel Perfect.”

Beiler is an American businesswoman and founder of Auntie Anne's pretzels.

GoTo Foods (formerly Focus Brands) is an American company that currently owns the Schlotzsky's, Carvel, Cinnabon, Moe's Southwest Grill, McAlister's Deli, Auntie Anne's and Jamba brands.

All those pretzels are made and twisted on the spot.

Auntie Anne's definitely doesn't serve pre-made pretzels! Every location receives shipments of the signature flour mixture, which is put in a mixer along with water and yeast. They're baked, brushed with real butter, salted and served right there.

When "Auntie" Anne Beiler started her pretzel stand, she said, "Caring for other people is the purpose of Auntie Anne's." Thirty years later, that commitment to giving back continues to motivate us. Meet our charitable partners and see how you can get involved.

Products sold at Auntie Anne's franchise locations are baked fresh in-store.

Both Cinnabon and Auntie Anne's are part of Focus Brands, the Atlanta-based operator owned by Roark Capital, the private equity group trying to buy Subway.

Who is Auntie Anne's husband? ›

She attended traditional Amish school until the 8th grade and eventually met and married her teenage crush – Jonas Beiler.

Wetzel's Pretzels was founded in 1994 and is based mainly in California, with few stores out-of-state. Auntie Anne's on the other hand, was founded in 1988 in Pennsylvania, and remains the nationally recognized brand.

Auntie Anne's come from very humble beginnings with the real life “Auntie” Anne baking her tasty pretzels at a farmers' market in 1988 to raise money for a community centre. Fast forward to today and the Auntie Anne's brand is now a global success with more than 2000 stores and loved in over 30 countries.

Anne and Jonas Beiler were both raised Mennonite, and in her book Twist of Faith, Anne talks about how God helped her through a family tragedy and helped her build Auntie Anne's. But the halo over the pretzel in the company's logo was introduced in 2006 after Sam Beiler initiated a redesign and rebranding.

GoTo Foods is the parent company of Auntie Anne's, Cinnabon, Carvel, McAlister's Deli, Jamba, Moe's Southwest Grill and Schlotzsky's. In total, the company operates more than 6,700 units worldwide. Holthouser took over as CEO in 2020, when he announced his goal to unify the company's seven franchises.

The monks used the pretzel's distinctive knot shape to represent the Holy Trinity, with the three holes in the pretzel symbolizing the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. This theory also ties the pretzel's history to religious practices and traditions.

In the 17th century, the pretzel's interlocking loops also came to symbolize undying love. Some couples even grasped the ends of the pretzel and unraveled it during wedding ceremonies — one possible origin of the phrase “tying the knot."

There are many stories about the origin of this German tradition, but there is a common thought that the pretzel itself is fashioned after the way in which German Monks prayed with their arms crossed in front of their chests.

The legend of the pretzel

The Catholic Church claims that a monk in Northern Italy created pretzels by using left-over dough that was originally made for Lent. He created the signature pretzel shape because it was meant to symbolize a child praying with his arms folded across his chest.