12 Facts About Auntie Anne's Pretzels (2024)

The buttery, hand-rolled soft pretzels at Auntie Anne's are a food-court favorite, but here are some not-so-well-known facts about the pretzel chain, which has been around since 1988.

12 Facts About Auntie Anne's Pretzels (1)

Robyn Lee,Flickr // CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

There’s a rumor floating around that Auntie Anne’s name is Anne Gerschwitz and that she was a renowned baker in Hannover, Germany, who fled to Philadelphia after World War II started. This is not true.

2. THE REAL AUNTIE ANNE WAS BORN INTO AN AMISH FAMILY.

"Like, horse-and-buggy Amish," Anne Beiler said of her parents. When she was 3, her family became Amish Mennonite—meaning they could have a car and electricity for basic needs—and she grew up on a small farm with her seven brothers and sisters in Lancaster County, Penn.

"In the Amish culture, you go through 8th grade and then you quit school,"Anne explained last year. "I just wanted to get married and have a family like my mom and dad did." She married at age 19, and much later,at 50, she went back and got her GED.

4. SHE HAD JUST $25 TO HER NAME WHEN SHE MOVED BACK TO PENNSYLVANIA.

According to her biography, Beiler, her husband Jonas, and her two daughters had no plan for when they moved from Texas—which they'd called home since early in their marriage—back to Pennsylvania in 1987. "Everything we owned was in that truck!"she wrote in Twist of Faith. "I was 39 years old, without life insurance policies or a plan for retirement. In the way of cash, after taking out the money we would need for gas and meals on our journey, we had an astronomical $25 left."

Anne had 30 nieces and nephews, after all.

6. AUNTIE ANNE'S WAS STARTED WITH A $6000 INVESTMENT.

In 1988, Anne bought a storefront at a farmer’s market in Downingtown, Penn., that had been selling pretzels and ice cream. The set-up with the ovens and mixers was there; she just needed to perfect the recipe.

While you’ve probably visited an Auntie Anne’s at travel hubs like airport terminals and train stations, the first storefront at a train station was at New York’s Penn Station in June 1995. The next month, they went international, starting with Jakarta, Indonesia.

8. SHAQ IS A BIG FAN.

The former NBA all-star’s franchise group, O’Neal Enterprises, signed on for multiple storefronts in Buffalo, N.Y., and the Detroit area.

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In 2005, Anne and Jonas sold the company to hissecond cousin, Sam Beiler (who was a long-time employee), and used some of their fortune to build a new home for the Family Resource and Counseling Center in Lancaster, Penn., which Jonas had founded in 1992.

10. ODDLY, THE RELIGIOUS BEILERS DID NOT ADD THE HALO TO THE AUNTIE ANNE'S LOGO.

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AuntieAnnes.com

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.

One of the most popular pretzels Auntie Anne’s sells in Singapore is seaweed-flavored.The Saudi Arabia location comes with dates, and the U.K. offers a banana pretzel.

12. AUNTIE ANNE'S HAS PRETZEL-MAKING CONTESTS AT THEIR CONVENTIONS.

And their employees are fast! This defending champion can roll a pretzel in 3.5 seconds.

12 Facts About Auntie Anne's Pretzels (2024)

FAQs

What are some fun facts about pretzels? ›

Here are some fun facts about pretzels:

The pretzel is long considered a good-luck symbol due to its religious roots. Pretzels without salt are called baldies. More than $550 million worth of pretzels are sold in the United States annually. The average American consumes up to two pounds of pretzels in a year.

What makes Auntie Anne's pretzels so good? ›

Auntie Anne Pretzels are somehow more delicious than your average pretzel. A healthy dose of sugar makes for a tasty dough, and a topping of melted butter and salt makes them positively addictive. Another reason the popular pretzels are so good is they are made and served fresh and warm.

What is Auntie Anne's full name? ›

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

What does Auntie Anne's stand for? ›

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.

Why do pretzels have 3 holes? ›

The pretzel was invented by European monks in the early Middle Ages, possibly in the 6th or 7th century. 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.

How old is Auntie Anne's? ›

Auntie Anne's got its start in 1988 when Anne Beiler bought a stand in a Pennsylvania farmer's market. After some experimentation, "Auntie" Anne created a masterpiece — the same freshly baked goodness you know and love today.

How many Auntie Anne's are there in the world? ›

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.

Who owns Auntie Anne's and 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. It is located in Sandy Springs, Georgia, and operates over 5,000 stores.

Are Auntie Anne's pretzels vegan? ›

Do you have vegan / vegetarian pretzels? Yes, many of our products are vegetarian as standard. We can also adapt some of these to become fully vegan by using a vegetable spray instead of butter. Please ask at the store.

Do Auntie Anne's pretzels have eggs? ›

Do Auntie Anne's pretzels contain egg? Auntie Anne's warns that their products may contain trace amounts of eggs due to cross-contamination. However, their classic pretzels and pretzel nuggets are not made with eggs.

Where did Auntie Anne's start? ›

Why is it called a pretzel? ›

Some say they were originally called “bracellae,” the Latin term for “l*ttle arms,” from which Germans later derived the word “bretzel.” According to others, the earliest pretzels were dubbed “pretiolas,” meaning “l*ttle rewards,” and handed out by the monks when their young pupils recited their prayers correctly.

What makes pretzels unique? ›

Pretzels are boiled, not baked. The dough is first shaped into a long rope and then boiled in water before being baked at a higher temperature than bread. This process creates a distinctive pretzel shape and gives them their unique taste.

Does pretzel have two moms? ›

Chihuahua Pretzel is revealed to have two lesbian mums. The delivery of this information might be fleeting, but still groundbreaking.

What is a pretzel without salt called? ›

Pretzel Facts

Pretzels without salt are called baldies.

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