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Auntie Anne’s, the leading soft pretzel and food-to-go franchise in the UK, is pleased to share its results for the 12 months to 31 December 2025, with system sales up 14% to £15.2m. Alongside this, the Group has announced its plans to open 10 sites in 2025, as part of plans to scale to 100 sites by 2030.
Auntie Anne’s UK&I is the UK master franchisee of the iconic, global soft pretzel brand founded in 1988 from a single stand at a Pennsylvania farmer’s market. Today, Auntie Anne’s operates as a global brand with 2,000+ locations in more than 25 countries. It is known
for its signature, hand-rolled and freshly baked pretzels, made from a 30-plus-year-old recipe and natural ingredients, alongside a growing menu of sweet, savoury and seasonal favourites.
After opening its first store in the UK in 2008, Auntie Anne’s UK&I has grown to operate more than 45 franchised locations. Reflecting strong demand for treat culture, Auntie Anne’s UK&I has opened 15 sites in the last two years, while serving more than 2.2 million customers. It sells more than 400,000 cinnamon pretzels, 500,000 portions of its ‘nuggets’, and 300,000 portions of its mini dogs each year.
The Group’s proposition is rooted in its focus on natural ingredients and freshly baked pretzels made in front of its consumers. With more than 77% of UK consumers concerned about ultra processed or overprocessed food,1 Auntie Anne’s UK&I is experiencing strong demand for its high quality, treats-to-go offer.
As a result, Auntie Anne’s UK&I sees an opportunity to open at least 10 sites in the UK and Ireland over the next 12 months. This will build on its existing footprint of nearly 50 stores in a variety of locations, from shopping centre kiosks to train centre containers. This will support the Group’s broader plans to scale up to 100 sites to 2030.
Max Burton, Managing Director, Auntie Anne’s UK&I, said: “Across the UK, we’re seeing strong demand for our high quality, freshly made proposition. In a market full of prepackaged, highly processed food and beverage items, consumers are identifying with our offer that celebrates simple natural ingredients, rolled and baked on site in front of our consumers. We believe our proposition is stand out in today’s market, which gives us huge confidence for seeking new opportunities to scale our business.
“Over the next year, we are aiming to open at least 10 new sites in a variety of formats and location types, creating more opportunities to bring delicious, freshly baked treats to consumers across all points of the day, whether that’s looking for an after-work snack, or a post school pick me up. We look forward to sharing more about our exciting plans in the months ahead.”
Restaurant News is sponsored by The Kitchen Porters Club
