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FRANCHISE RESALES

Buy an Auntie Anne’s Franchise

Auntie Anne’s is a fresh-baked soft pretzel franchise founded in 1988, tracing its origins to a single stand at a Pennsylvania farmer’s market. The brand has since grown into a network of more than 1,200 locations across the US and over 20 countries. Pretzels are rolled and baked on-site throughout the day, creating the in-store aroma the brand is recognized for.

The model is built around high-traffic, non-traditional venues, with format options including inline mall shops, kiosks, and streetside units in airports, universities, amusement parks, and travel hubs. Co-branded units alongside sister brands Cinnabon, Jamba, and Carvel are available under the GoTo Foods platform. Auntie Anne’s is franchised through GoTo Foods, a multi-brand restaurant company based in Atlanta, Georgia, formerly known as Focus Brands.

The core menu is operationally focused: hand-rolled pretzels in original and flavored varieties, pretzel dogs, nuggets, fresh-squeezed lemonade, and seasonal drinks. The Auntie Anne’s Rewards app supports digital ordering, loyalty programs, and delivery. Franchisees access GoTo Foods’ supply chain spanning all 50 states and over 25 countries.

Latest Resales

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Why buy an Auntie Anne’s Franchise?

To buy an Auntie Anne’s franchise is to invest in one of the most recognized snack brands in North American food retail, backed by nearly four decades of consumer awareness. The GoTo Foods platform adds purchasing power, shared technology infrastructure, and co-branding flexibility: advantages that independent food operators would take years to build.

Format flexibility is a genuine strength: inline mall shops, kiosks, streetside units, airports, and co-branded builds alongside Cinnabon, Jamba, and Carvel give experienced operators multiple ways to grow. The GoTo Foods supply chain, spanning all 50 states and over 25 countries, supports product quality and cost stability. The operationally focused menu keeps complexity manageable even for operators new to QSR.

Auntie Anne’s Franchise Costs & Information

Based on 2024 data reported in the 2025 FDD

  • Brand Profile

    • Year Founded

      1988

    • Franchising Since

      1989

    • New Startup Cost

      $156,175 – $638,300

    • Avg. Resale Price

      Contact us for details

  • Franchise Fees

    • Initial franchise Fee

      $35,500

      for new territories

    • Transfer Fee

      50%

      of then-current Franchise Fee for a Control Transfer; 10% otherwise

    • Royalty Fee

      7%

      of Net Sales

    • Marketing Fee

      2–3%

      of Net Sales

  • Unit Performance

    • Total Units *

      1182

    • New Units Opened *

      75

    • Units Transferred *

      52

    • Avg. Unit revenue *

      $877,854

    * Based on 2024 data reported in the 2025 FDD

Auntie Anne’s – Additional  Information

  1. Training & Support

    Auntie Anne's training blends 25 hours of classroom instruction with 50 hours of on-the-job shop experience, with certified trainers on-site during the opening period. Ongoing support comes through field business consultants who review performance and coach operations; corporate marketing delivers national campaigns, promotional calendars, and local store marketing toolkits. Technology includes the GoTo Foods POS and reporting platform, the Auntie Anne's Rewards app, and digital ordering and delivery integrations. Buyers of an existing unit should confirm what transfer training and system access GoTo Foods provides to incoming ownership.

  2. Ideal Owner

    Auntie Anne's suits operators with experience managing a restaurant, foodservice operation, or franchise business. The model calls for active management: franchisees stay closely involved in staffing, training, and daily operations, particularly in high-throughput mall and airport environments. People-leadership and guest service skills matter most; queue management and throughput have a direct effect on sales. Prior food-retail experience is helpful but not required, as the training program covers the operational essentials. Community-minded operators with an interest in charitable giving fit the brand culture well.

  3. Recognition & Awards

    Auntie Anne's has been ranked in the Entrepreneur Franchise 500 for multiple consecutive years, most recently at No. 87 in 2025. The brand also places at No. 84 in the Franchise Times Top 400 for 2025, which ranks the largest US-based franchise systems by global systemwide sales. As part of GoTo Foods, Auntie Anne's sits within a multi-brand platform that includes Cinnabon, Jamba, and Carvel, adding group-level credibility. For resale buyers, the brand's consumer recognition across high-traffic venues reduces local marketing pressure, though unit-level reputation and venue quality remain important resale factors.

  4. Industry / Market

    The US snack food market is driven by strong consumer demand for convenient, fresh grab-and-go options. The soft pretzel and baked-snack category serves impulse buyers in malls and outlet centers as well as the captive traffic of airports and transit hubs; non-traditional venue units typically achieve higher average sales than enclosed mall locations. The category has shown resilience across economic cycles given its accessible price point and broad consumer appeal. For resale buyers, venue type and foot-traffic data are key variables in evaluating any unit's revenue potential.

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