Soft Pretzel Icon Auntie Anne's® Rolls into Salt Lake City with 'Fresh' Location

Online, November 17, 2011 (Newswire.com) - Auntie Anne's, the franchisor of the world's largest hand-rolled soft pretzel chain, has expanded its presence into Utah with the opening of a store location in South Towne Center Mall at 10450 South State St. in Sandy, UT. Franchise partner group, Dough Knot, LLC, opened the new location on November 15, 2011, making it the 45th state for the gourmet snack brand.

A UTE graduate, Dough Knot, LLC President Lincoln Spoor is bringing home his entrepreneurial experience to South Towne Center Mall after successfully opening 13 Krispy Kreme locations throughout Idaho, Colorado, Wisconsin, Utah and Nevada, including the Las Vegas Strip with Auntie Anne's and additional brand Popcornopolis. Spoor's four young children, all of who are Auntie Anne's pretzel fanatics, encouraged him to open the Sandy location after trying the pretzels for themselves.

"In Las Vegas, our Auntie Anne's gives a jolt to people's expectations of 'quick service' - not only with the quality, fresh products, but also with our guest service and unique brand culture," said Spoor. "I've spent many years in and around Sandy, and I know that area residents have been waiting for an eatery like Auntie Anne's. It'll truly be an honor to share this brand with my friends, family, and community members."

The Auntie Anne's brand stands out from other quick service concepts due to its community-oriented partnerships, distinctive brand culture and extensive menu offerings. Auntie Anne's is best known for mixing, twisting, and baking pretzels to golden brown perfection in full view of guests. Auntie Anne's Pretzels are available in a variety of flavors including Original, Cinnamon Sugar, Almond, Garlic, Pepperoni, and Sour Cream and Onion. Pretzel Stix and Nuggets offer a more portable option for pretzel lovers on the go, and the Pretzel Dog is a popular lunch item.

In September 2011, Auntie Anne's announced a new charitable partnership with Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF), a pediatric cancer charity foundation. Franchise owners have also helped raise $4 million for the Children's Miracle Network and in 2010, Auntie Anne's partnered with First Book to help deliver nearly 50,000 books to children in need through Title 1 schools, Head Start Programs and pre-and-after school literacy programs.

Although the flagship Auntie Anne's was opened at a farmer's market in Downingtown, Pa., pretzel lovers can now find locations in malls, outlet centers, colleges and universities, transportation sites, and other non-traditional shopping and entertainment centers. In November 2010, Auntie Anne's was acquired by FOCUS Brands Inc.®, the franchisor and operator of over 2,200 Carvel®, Cinnabon®, Schlotzsky's®, Moe's Southwest Grill® and Seattle's Best Coffee® locations.

ABOUT AUNTIE ANNE'S
An award-winning franchise system, Auntie Anne's is consistently ranked number one in the category of hand-rolled soft pretzels by Entrepreneur's Franchise 500, has received the World-Class Franchise® honor (the most prestigious award in franchising) for the past five years, ranked as the #1 food franchise by QSR Magazine and garnered high rankings from Franchise Business Review's 2009, 2010, 2011 Franchisee Satisfaction Awards. For more information about the Auntie Anne's franchise opportunity and to view franchise partner testimonials, please visit www.auntieannesfranchising.com

For more information, visit www.auntieannes.com, www.facebook.com/auntieannespretzels, www.twitter.com/auntieannes or www.youtube.com/auntieannespretzels.

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