Auntie Anne’s Is Moving Beyond Malls

Auntie Anne’s (Atlanta), a longtime staple of food court malls, is making moves with more visibility in mind.

The pretzel brand launched its first co-branded drive-thru in 2021 and has “doubled down on its digital presence,” Nation’s Restaurant News explains.

It also recently moved its headquarters from Lancaster, PA to Atlanta to collaborate more with its parent company, Focus Brands. The new drive-thru is a byproduct of that collaboration, the article says.

Alisa Gmelich, Auntie Anne’s Chief Brand Officer, told the outlet:

“The average [Auntie Anne’s] guest goes only one to three times a year, but they want to engage with our brand more frequently. So that made us realize that we can do much more than our growth in malls, amusement parks, entertainment venues and airports.

“Over the past year, each of these components — new store prototypes, partnerships with other Focus concepts, digital engagement and menu innovation — has shifted Auntie Anne’s to be a more top-of-mind brand for customers rather than just a happenstance purchase for shoppers and people waiting for their train or plane.”

Read more at Nation’s Restaurant News.