Latest news with #AuntieAnnes
Daily Mail
15-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Your sneak peek at the first Auntie Anne's Sydney store as the iconic pretzel chain prepares to launch in Australia
Pretzel-mania will soon arrive down under after eagle-eyed foodies spotted Auntie Anne's stores being set up around Sydney - and now FEMAIL can exclusively share the first image of what the Aussie stores will look like. For the uninitiated, Auntie Anne's is a popular American pretzel chain that's been around since 1988. The takeaway brand is renowned for its vast range of pretzel-themed products, including its Classic Pretzels, Pretzel Nuggets and Original Pretzel Dog. A Sydney shopper took to Reddit earlier this month sharing a picture of an Auntie Anne's 'Coming Soon' poster that had been plastered across an underground shopfront in the QVB food court next to Town Hall station. The accompanying message read: 'Just walked past this sign in Sydney and nearly lost it. AUNTIE ANNE'S. I thought we were never getting one here??' The salty and sweet snacks are famously paired with their accompanying pretzel dip range, which includes a Cheese Dip and Marinara Dip, as well as various varieties of in-house lemonade. An excited Sydney-sider who shared a photo online explained that he'd previously tried the famous pretzels overseas and felt it was 'a massive win' that Aussies would now get to experience the delicious treat at home. 'If you've ever had it overseas, you know how good it is. Warm, soft pretzels like proper buttery, salty perfection. The cinnamon sugar one is unreal too,' he wrote. An eagle-eyed Sydney-sider jumped on Reddit to share this 'Coming Soon' poster for an Auntie Anne's pretzel store, which they spotted outside a shopfront in the QVB food court 'Used to be my airport guilty pleasure every time I travelled,' he added. Another person chimed in to add that they'd spotted a similar 'Coming Soon' sign outside a shopfront in Westfield Parramatta. Their comment read: 'They're also opening a branch at Westfield Parra in the spot that used to be occupied by a tobacconist (next door to Breadtop) in the lower ground floor.' Auntie Anne's diehards were quick to respond to the Reddit thread and share their excitement about now being able to get the beloved pretzel snacks down under. 'AHHHHH one of my constant cravings ever since I moved to Australia!!!' read one comment. Other fans also offered serving suggestions for first-timers. 'Trust me on these combinations: regular salted pretzel with the cheap liquid cheese fast food places use for nachos. Sour cream & onion pretzel with marinara dip,' read one comment. '[Y]ummm their cinnamon pretzels and house made lemonade combination was bomb,' added another. FEMAIL reached out to an Auntie Anne spokesperson, who provided an exclusive 'first look' picture of their Aussie stores and officially confirmed that the first shop will open on Saturday July 26 in Westfield Paramatta. Opening day is expected to draw huge crowds of pretzel fans, with the first 50 guests through the door also set to receive exclusive Auntie Anne's merchandise in a limited-edition goodie bag. Business partners Yu-Jin Lee and Johann Wong - who are behind the store's Australia expansion - already have big plans for the pretzel brand down under. 'We aim to launch the first 5 stores in the next 12 months with our goal being to make Auntie Anne's a beloved brand nationally. There's a huge appetite for the brand already - we've seen the buzz online and the excitement is real!' Indeed, Auntie Anne's newly established Australian social media channels have already been met with a flurry of excitement from fans. In response to one of the brand's teaser Instagram posts, one foodie responded: 'Dreams do come true'. Seasoned Auntie Anne's customers have also speculated in the comments section about the items they hoped would be available on the Aussie menu. Among the hotly requested food items were the brand's Pretzel Dogs, Chocolate Dip and their signature Original Lemonade. The official statement confirmed some of the items that will be featured on the soon to be launched Australian menu. Among them are the 'signature pretzel varieties such as Original, Cinnamon Sugar, Sweet Almond, and Pepperoni Cheese' as well as the 'sweet and savoury Nugget bites'. 'All Auntie Anne's pretzels are mixed, hand rolled and baked on site to ensure the ultimate experience,' the brand's statement continued. Auntie Anne's was started in the late 80s by American woman Anne Beiler, who opened her first humble pretzel stand at a Pennsylvania farmer's market. After developing her signature freshly baked pretzel recipe, 'word got out about the warm Twisted buttery dough gently sprinkled with granules of salt,' according to a post about the brand's history.
News.com.au
15-07-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
Another cult-US restaurant chain announces it's opening in Australia
There was once a time when Aussies would have to travel at least 10 hours to eat their favourite American food – but not anymore. In the past few years, a string of classic US food chains have popped up on our shores, including Wingstop, Five Guys and Wendys. Now Auntie Anne's, the world's largest hand-rolled soft pretzel franchise, is making its debut Down Under with the opening of its first store Westfield Parramatta on July 26. 'This has been a dream in the making for years,' Yu-Jin Lee, who along with his business partner Johann Wong has worked with Auntie Anne's to bring it to Australia, told 'We have always loved pretzels and one of our fondest childhood memories is going to the mall to grab an Auntie Anne's pretzel. 'It's a cherished experience for us and we hope to recreate and share that joy in Australia now too.' The popular chain, which sells an array of sweet and savory pretzels, first opened its doors in Pennsylvania back in 1988 and now has more than 2000 locations around the world – with five new ones planned across Australia in the next 12 months. Aussie customers can expect the full Auntie Anne's experience, Yu-Jin Lee said, including signature pretzel varieties such as original, cinnamon sugar, sweet almond, and pepperoni cheese, along with sweet and savoury nugget bites with the dough mixed, hand-rolled and baked on site. 'Our pretzels are baked continuously throughout the day, so no matter when you stop by, you're getting them hot, fresh, and at their absolute best. 'There's a huge appetite for the brand already – we've seen the buzz online and the excitement is real.' Indeed, several eagle-eyed pretzel fans have spotted the new Sydney store before it has even opened, taking to social media to share their joy. 'OMG, I manifested this,' one wrote. 'Legitimately have been waiting years for this, let's go,' another shared. As one declared: 'If they open in Melbourne I'll go broke, no joke.' But as Auntie Anne's joins a long line of American fast-food restaurants opening in Australia, are Aussies going to become sick of the once hard-to-get food? Melbourne food blogger @nectoriouspapi doesn't think so. 'It's really exciting to see US chains opening in Australia,' he told 'Many of us have heard the hype, or if they're lucky tried the items on holiday, but to be able to eat these well-known brand's on our own doorstep means it's now available to everyone. 'These brand's are often names we've grown up watching in the movies, so it's a thrill to have the option to buy something we've never tried. The big test is really whether or not they stand the test of time.' The foodie, who hasn't yet tried any Auntie Anne's menu items, said his biggest gripe with the cult US chains opening in Australia is that 'Sydney always gets it first'. This was a sentiment echoed on social media, where many Aussies called for a store in their local area. 'Can we get some of these places in Melbourne?' one sighed, as another added: 'This was my fave in America, but I don't live anywhere near Sydney. Boo.'
Fast Company
12-06-2025
- Business
- Fast Company
Auntie Anne's is rebranding for a future with fewer shopping malls
How do you take a mall food court brand and future-proof it for a world with fewer malls? For Auntie Anne's, the answer is modernizing the stores they already have with a new concept designed for the way people snack now. Auntie Anne's said Monday it would remodel 150 stores this year with a new store concept and a modernized visual identity designed to sell more of its pretzels, drinks, and snacks to millennial and Gen Z consumers at a time of changing habits. With consumers interested in mobile ordering, grab-and-go food, and novel experiences, the updated Auntie Anne's store concept has a dedicated mobile order pickup area and an open view into the kitchen with a 'Now Rolling' sign to draw attention to employees rolling pretzels by hand. 'Consumer expectations have shifted, especially around digital convenience, off-premise access, and visual appeal,' Mike Freeman, president of brands at Auntie Anne's holding company GoTo Foods, tells Fast Company in an email. The redesigned stores were made to meet those expectations. 'It reflects how guests want to engage today with speed, transparency, and a space that feels fresh and energetic,' Freeman says. A new blue and yellow 'twist' mural pattern gives the store a more modern and colorful look, and an updated Auntie Anne's logo is simpler and does without the old halo element of the outgoing logo. Founded in the height of the shopping mall era in 1988, today Auntie Anne's has more than 2,000 locations in shopping malls, outlets, airports, universities, Walmarts, travel plazas, military bases, and food trucks. Its owner, GoTo Foods, operates or franchises more than 6,900 restaurants and cafés for brands including Cinnabon, Jamba, and Schlotzsky's. Malls and airports are 'core to Auntie Anne's heritage and continue to play a key role in the brand's footprint,' Freeman says, but expansion is also key. The brand plans for growth that includes street side and co-branded locations, and it's open to partnerships and cross-branded collabs with Oreo and Hidden Valley Ranch. The rebrand is about selling a nostalgic snack in a more contemporary way. Revitalizing a food court favorite that's outlived many of the shopping malls it once occupied is no small feat, and updating the store's look and feel could go a long way in keeping it relevant.
The Sun
17-05-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Iconic fast food chain that ‘beats out McDonald's any day of the week' plans to open 100 locations in UK
A SMASHED burger joint that "beats McDonald's any day" is set to open 100 UK locations. A burger chain hailing from Amsterdam is due to open 100 UK locations in the in the coming years. 3 3 The chain, Fat Phill's, opened its first UK location in London in 2024 with the restaurant planning big expansions across the UK. A further 100 restaurants are reportedly on the way with a new location set to open in Temple Bar, Dublin this June. Plans are in motion with the rest of the 100 locations expected to be open by 2034. The chain was founded in the Netherlands where 18 locations boast huge success. Fat Phill's boasts "Amsterdam's best" burger and has been said to beat McDonald's any day. Freshly Baked, the company behind Auntie Anne's UK are set to handle the expansion into the UK and Ireland. Dozens more high street branches of Fat Phill's are reportedly already in the works. The chain has been quietly expanding into the UK since it opened it's first location. The London site, in Clapham Junction, has already racked up hundreds of gleaming reviews from satisfied diners. The fast food chain describes itself as American themed, combining culture and music. Serving everything diners could want from an American themed fast food chain Fat Phill's menu hosts smash burgers, waffle fries, Philly Cheesteaks, tater tots and more. Showing off it's Dutch roots the restaurant also offers Stroopwafel shakes, based on the classic Dutch sweet treat. Opened in 2019 the chain has seen massive success over just six years in business. Founder Armin Vahabian opened the restaurant without any initial investors. He has found wide success before the age of thirty thanks to Fat Phill's popularity. The first Fat Phill's was opened in the Dutch capital Amsterdam. Further locations in Eindhoven, Rotterdam and Utrecht quickly followed. When the Clapham location opened one blogger said Fat Phill's: "Beats McDonald's and KFC." Dozens of UK food chains have expanded into the UK recently and found massive success. Fat Phill's is set to open it's next location next month with more soon to follow. The US restaurant chains that have landed in the UK Huge brand Popeyes first crossed the Atlantic in 2021 and it now has 50 stores in the UK, with plans to expand further. Meanwhile Church's Texas Chicken, which reviewers have branded "better than KFC" is set to open its first UK sites. It says it has plans for 900 branches across the country. Wendy's, renowned for its famous square burgers, is opening its 50th store in the UK this year. It's said it plans to establish 150 locations across the country by 2028. The expansion is set to create over 150 jobs. Meanwhile sandwich chain Which Wich is launching its second UK store on London's Fleet Street in June. The Texas-based chain, which first arrived in the UK in 2018, has a flagship location at Central St Giles. The Which Wich website boasts of 'custom-crafted sandwiches and salads' with 'over 60 toppings to create a masterpiece'. Another American chain that's made its mark on the UK is Wingstop, which now has 57 sites here.
