Auntie Anne's Origin Story Is Sweeter Than A Cinnamon Sugar Pretzel

Everyone knows that Auntie Anne's iconic soft pretzels are the epitome of mall food, but have you ever wondered who, exactly, is Auntie Anne, and why she started baking up such wonderful pretzels? It turns out the story is even better than our favorite Auntie Anne's bite-sized delights. Auntie Anne's origins trace back to 1988, when Anne Beiler ("Auntie" Anne herself) started selling homemade soft pretzels at a farmers market stand in Downingtown, Pennsylvania. Beiler was inspired to start the pretzel business as a way to financially support her husband in his mission to provide free counseling services to their community. 

Naturally, the pretzels were a hit, and the rest is history. Auntie Anne's ultimately outgrew the farmers market stand and went on to become the world's largest soft pretzel franchise, fueling the mall food memories of millions of Americans. Today, Auntie Anne's boasts over 2000 stores across 30 countries and continues to stay true to its philanthropic roots through various initiatives  that have raised millions of dollars for charitable partners.

Anne Beiler's love for baking (and entrepreneurial spirit) began at an early age. At just 11, she would regularly whip up dozens of cakes and pies by herself, and her dad would sell the best baked sweets at the farmers market. However, in a somewhat surprising twist, Auntie Anne's pretzels weren't an instant success. Beiler has said that the earliest pretzels were so terrible that she almost removed them from the menu, which also included pizza and ice cream (if you're experiencing similar pretzel-making frustrations, avoid this common mistake that's probably ruining your homemade pretzels). Luckily, after a bit of workshopping, Beiler hit the magic recipe, and the pretzels began flying off the shelves like hot cakes (or more accurately, hot pretzels).

Beiler credits a generous regimen of free sampling for helping Auntie Anne's acquire many early and loyal customers, a marketing strategy that has continued to serve the brand well. After all, this author got hooked on cinnamon sugar-smothered pretzel nuggets thanks to a platter of toothpick-topped samples on the Auntie Anne's counter. If the sweet story behind Auntie Anne's has you craving one of its doughy treats, check out our ultimate ranking of Auntie Anne's pretzels to craft the perfect order.