West Lothian shopping centre welcomes American pretzel company's first Scottish store
The Centre in Livingston has welcomed American pretzel company, Auntie Anne's, which is the only one in Scotland, bringing 10 new jobs to the area.
To mark the occasion, a giant pretzel pulling ceremony was held and fans of the famous twisted delicacy waited over an hour before the launch for the chance at a freebie, reports The West Lothian Courier.
Auntie Anne's, which is famous for its warm, freshly baked sweet or savoury pretzels, was founded by Anne Beiler and her husband Jonas in 1988 and started out at a Pennsylvania farmer's market.
The business was first established to help support Jonas' dream of providing free family counselling services for their community, and 'giving-back' continues to be a priority for the business.
It is now the world's largest hand-rolled, soft pretzel company, with over 2,000 stores in over 25 countries, including Hong Kong, Egypt and 44 in the UK.
Pretzels available at their new branch, located next to schuh, include Original, Cinnamon, and Vanilla, with Stix and Nuggets sharing options. The savoury selection features Cheese & Jalapeño and Pepperoni flavours, along with a range of Jumbo Pretzel Dogs and the fan-favourite Mini Dogs - bite-sized pretzel-wrapped hot dogs.
Drinks include fresh lemonades, slushies and coffees, and a range of Italian gelato is also available.
Max Burton, Managing Director of Auntie Anne's UK & Ireland, said: 'The opening of our new branch at The Centre, Livingston marks Auntie Anne's exciting return to Scotland.
'This is part of a wider UK expansion strategy driven by strong performance and growing franchise interest, with Livingston being the perfect place to start.'
Gary Anderson, Operations Manager at The Centre, Livingston, added: 'We are delighted to welcome Auntie Anne's to The Centre, Livingston and the creation of 10 new jobs to the local area.
'The grand opening has been a huge success, with visitors travelling far and wide to experience their world famous handcrafted and freshly baked pretzels.'
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