Pretzel History: Company Information | Auntie Anne's (2024)

FAQs

What is the story behind Auntie Anne's pretzels? ›

“Auntie” Anne Beiler started baking pretzels to help fund her husband's desire to provide free family counseling services for their community.

While no one knows for sure how pretzels originated, the most popular story is that in 610 A.D., while baking bread, an Italian monk decided to create a special treat to motivate his distracted students. He rolled out ropes of dough, twisted them to resemble hands crossed on the chest in prayer, and then baked them.

Today, Beiler is focused on her motivational speaking career, as well as her writing projects. She has published several books about her faith, her family and her pretzels, including “Twist of Faith: The Story of Anne Beiler, the Founder of Auntie Anne's Pretzels.”

In 2005, Anne sold Auntie Anne's to speak to audiences on leadership, purpose, and the power of confession.

Pretzels once stopped a war

Their plans were foiled, however, by a group of monks who were up late baking pretzels in the basem*nt of their monastery and heard the advancing enemy army. The monks quickly alerted city officials, who were then able to counter the assault and stop the attempted invasion.

In the old days pretzels were associated with Easter because the twists of the pretzel were thought to resemble arms crossing in prayer.

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.

Both Cinnabon and Auntie Anne's are part of Focus Brands, the Atlanta-based operator owned by Roark Capital, the private equity group trying to buy Subway.

Underpinned by the seven core values in its business: Teamwork, Respect, Honesty, Excellence, Diligence, Continuous Improvement and finally, Celebration (where achievements are recognised and rewarded) Auntie Anne's mission statement for franchisees/store managers is:” to provide our franchisees and corporate store ...

In the United States, you can find Auntie Anne's in all 50 states with Pennsylvania leading the way with around 133 locations.

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.

Personal life. Beiler has two sisters, Fi and Becky, and is married to Jonas Z. Beiler, an author and family counselor, by whom she has three children, daughters LaWonna (born 1971), Angela Joy (1974–1975), and Joy LaVale (born 1976).

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. This theory also ties the pretzel's history to religious practices and traditions.

As a reward, the Austrian emperor gave the pretzel bakers their own coat of arms. By the 17th century, the interlocking loops of the pretzel had come to symbolize undying love as well.

There are many stories about the origin of this German tradition, but there is a common thought that the pretzel itself is fashioned after the way in which German Monks prayed with their arms crossed in front of their chests.

The Catholic Church claims that a monk in Northern Italy created pretzels by using left-over dough that was originally made for Lent. He created the signature pretzel shape because it was meant to symbolize a child praying with his arms folded across his chest.