Mike Freeman, GoTo Foods president of brands, says snacking should be an eye-catching experience. It should also be customized, create emotional ties, and be in a frictionless environment for millennial and Gen Z customers.
Those are the funnels the 1,200-unit Auntie Anne’s used to reimagine its store design.
Guests will see deeper, bolder blues from the updated logo, which has an “A” embedded into the pretzel shape itself, along with mobile features that appeal to Gen Z and millennial audiences. Auntie Anne’s is also bringing more theater into the experience, with rolling dough becoming a prominent part of the store’s visual presence.
“When I say theater, I’ll say rolling [dough] now is a big piece of the puzzle,” Freeman says. “It’s really a tip of the cap to our craftsmanship and the way we actually take such pride in our product and performance and fulfillment rate. It’s just really adapting to the new snacking habits of these generations.”
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The prototype is digital-forward as well. Digital menu boards allow for dynamic product placement and pricing, and they’re more visually appealing, especially in crowded mall environments. That’s paired with playful wall graphic messaging like “twist up your day” to keep customers engaged with the aesthetics.
From a merchandising perspective, frozen beverages play a big role in the new design because “having those front and center, they almost sell themselves. They are so beautifully created and they help bring more audience to the forefront,” Freeman says.
The GoTo Foods executive describes it as a modular approach. Auntie Anne’s wants to stay flexible and create a concept that can adapt to different spaces while maintaining brand integrity. The modular equipment makes it easier to fulfill orders and adjust layouts as needed. This flexibility was important to franchisees, who were heavily involved in the development of the new design, according to Freeman.
“Cultural relevance is the big undertone for most of this,” Freeman says. “I’ll just say that constantly pushing these brands forward is an important part of our role here, and what we want to make sure we do is just stay the course, but also make sure we position ourselves in a way that says we’re both inviting, nostalgic, and somebody you can count on in that snack space to deliver a very consistent experience every single time.”
One of the biggest wins is lower startup costs and reducing the barrier to entry for operators.
“I think that’s an important piece of the puzzle, because franchisees, it’s their investment,” Freeman says. “It’s a brand that they take a lot of pride in, and they are what’s most foundationally important to our success.”
A couple of prototypes have opened close to GoTo Foods’ headquarters in Atlanta. All new store openings will adopt the new design and other shops will incorporate new elements as part of a remodel program. Freeman says about 150 will be open by year’s end.
Auntie Anne’s is part of a category that’s seen significant growth in recent years. Snacking now accounts for 20 percent of food and beverage sales globally, and consumers under 40 dominate the category, according to data from Circana.
Freeman says franchisee sentiment is high and that the brand has seen momentum with streetside locations and co-branded units. Between now and the end of 2025, the chain is offering aggressive incentives to bring more operators into the system through those channels.
The executive adds that franchisees are growing faster than they ever have.
“It’s awesome right now,” Freeman says. “We have such flexible options for franchisees to grow within our brand. We’ve had great success with our streetside and co-branding momentum. For streetside and co-branding opportunities, having their bullish sentiment behind this remodel program and feeling as they have about it really sets us up well for staying culturally relevant by keeping our iconically playful and craveable core in place. I think that’s an important headline because franchisees want to protect their investment. We want to drive business results for them, but we also want to always be looking through the consumer lens and making sure that customer journey is well-protected in a way that keeps us forefront in everyone’s consideration set.”
Freeman says there’s still a balance when it comes to growth. Malls remain a core part of Auntie Anne’s legacy, and they’ll continue to be an area where it invests time and resources. However, streetside and co-branded locations have emerged as strong growth drivers. They offer franchisees a financially smart way to enter new markets and expand the brand, according to Freeman. Auntie Anne’s is also seeing opportunities in nontraditional settings—like stadiums, event venues, and airports—where it can introduce the brand to new audiences.
But the reality is, there are fewer malls available today, so most future development will likely come from streetside and co-branded formats.
“As we think about streetside, it also leads us to the logo, it leads us to the new brand, leads us to all those new elemental pieces that we’ve developed,” Freeman says. “Because now we can stack logos vertically, horizontally, things that make sense on the front of our buildings, but also just that pop, that deeper blue with the gold. That just is a nod to our perfect pretzels and golden brown approach. All these things create this flexibility and just ability to move more nimbly around the country. And as franchisees say, ‘How’s this market look? How much waste space do I have?’ There’s really no way that we can get to a no. We can really fit in just about anywhere.”
