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Opening of Auntie Anne's® Pretzels in Poland Exceeds Sales Expectations

March 02, 2011

Second location scheduled to open in April

LANCASTER, Pa. (March 2, 2011) – In late February, the signature taste of Auntie Anne’s Pretzels was introduced to the people of Poland at a new store in Poznań, Poland’s fifth largest city. First day sales at the mall location exceeded expectations by about 80 percent and, in the 12 days since opening, the store has continued to outperform initial projections. The Auntie Anne’s store is located at Stary Browar, translated to “old brewery” in English. The shopping center, built in a brewery, combines retail shops with an art gallery, and also houses a five-star 22-room hotel.

Auntie Anne’s presence in Poland is through Bachleda Investment Group Ltd., led by Andrzej Bachleda-Curus, CEO. Bachleda Investment Group is a family-owned company with an extensive background in management of retail brands, including being the sole distributor of Carmex lip balm in Poland. 

Mike McCoy, Director of Franchise Sales and International Operations for Auntie Anne’s said, “The Bachleda team was presented this unique location and they seized the opportunity to first introduce Auntie Anne’s in Poznań. We’re pleased that Auntie Anne’s has a retail presence in this award-winning shopping center.”

Darin Mendenhall, International Operations Specialist, spent eight days on-site training crewmembers who will serve as the face of Auntie Anne’s in Poland. In that time, he interacted with Polish residents new to the brand as well as a large number of United States citizens studying at the nearby Poznan University of Medical Sciences.

Mendenhall said, “Because of its reputation, the university attracts a lot of American students. These customers were very excited to experience a taste of home.”

A second Auntie Anne’s location is expected to open at Stary Browar by early April. A Warsaw store is scheduled to open about a month later in the city’s main train station. Bachleda Investment Group is targeting openings in Krakow and Zakopane soon thereafter.

Auntie Anne’s has more than 1,120 locations spanning the U.S., Bahrain, Mexico, Canada, China, Japan, Poland, United Kingdom, Egypt, Greece, Honduras, Kuwait, Ireland, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea, and Venezuela.

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