When did Auntie Annes begin offering franchises?
Auntie_Annes Franchise · 2024 FDDAnswer from 2024 FDD Document
Our Business
We are a Delaware limited liability company organized on February 2, 2017. We do business under the name "Auntie Anne's." Our principal place of business is 5620 Glenridge Drive NE, Atlanta, Georgia 30342. Exhibit G discloses our agents for service of process. Although we reserve the right to do so, we have not offered franchises in other lines of business.
We have offered Auntie Anne's® franchises since April 2017. As of December 31, 2023, there were 1,156 franchised Shops in the United States and 817 franchised Shops operating outside the United States. We do not own any Shops. As of December 31, 2023, our affiliate, Auntie Anne's LLC ("AA"), owned and operated 11 Shops in the United States.
We lease carts and equipment to our franchisees participating in the Satellite Retail Unit ("SRU") program. See Items 5 and 8 for more information on the SRU program.
In addition to offering franchises, we or our affiliates sell products to (i) wholesale accounts that offer products using the Auntie Anne's® trademarks at retail, such as supermarkets, convenience stores, club stores and other similar retail outlets and (ii) unaffiliated branded restaurants and retail stores that we permit to sell one or more Auntie Anne's® branded products.
Predecessors, Parents and Certain Affiliates
We are an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of GoTo Foods LLC, a Delaware limited liability company formerly known as Focus Brands LLC ("GoTo Foods"). GoTo Foods was originally incorporated in Delaware as Focus Brands Inc.
Source: Item 1 — THE FRANCHISOR AND ANY PARENTS, PREDECESSORS AND AFFILIATES (FDD pages 10–24)
What This Means (2024 FDD)
According to Auntie Annes's 2024 Franchise Disclosure Document, the current franchisor, Auntie Anne's Franchisor SPV LLC, has offered franchises since April 2017. However, the brand's franchising history dates back to January 1991 through its predecessor, Auntie Anne's LLC (formerly Auntie Anne's, Inc.).
Prior to April 2017, Auntie Anne's LLC (AA) was the entity offering Auntie Anne's franchises, starting in January 1991. AA operated as such until April 2017, after which Auntie Anne's Franchisor SPV LLC took over the franchising operations. This transition reflects a change in the legal entity responsible for franchising the Auntie Anne's brand.
Prospective franchisees should note that while Auntie Anne's Franchisor SPV LLC is the current franchisor, the brand has a longer history under its predecessor. This distinction is important for understanding the brand's evolution and experience in the franchise industry. The FDD indicates that as of December 31, 2023, there were 1,156 franchised shops in the United States and 817 franchised shops operating outside the United States.