Auntie Anne's continues its growth in nontraditional venues with the grand opening of a new location at the Maryland House Travel Plaza along I-95 in Hartford County, Maryland.
The grand opening, which occurred in January, also marks a new milestone for the iconic pretzel franchise: the first store with partner Areas USA. It’s anticipated that Auntie Anne’s and Areas USA will open two additional locations together in 2014.
“As we execute our strategic growth plans for nontraditional venues, we look forward to developing relationships with our partners, including Areas USA. Partnerships like these are invaluable as they allow our brand to continue penetrating into new venues,” says Brian Boycan, vice president of nontraditional development for Auntie Anne’s.
Recognizing an opportunity to further expand the brand’s presence in locations outside the shopping mall, Auntie Anne’s can now be found in nontraditional venues including entertainment centers, amusement parks, casinos, stadiums, military bases, colleges and universities, large retailers, and transportation sites such as airports, train stations, and travel plazas.
In 2013, Auntie Anne’s opened 53 nontraditional locations, including its first three amusement park locations. With strategic growth plans in place for 2014, the soft pretzel company is projecting to open more than 67 nontraditional locations in the first half of the year. Auntie Anne’s, which turned 26 in February 2014, earned its 25th year of positive overall sales growth in 2013.
