The real numbers on owning a Auntie Anne's franchise
Food & Beverage / Snack Retail (Pretzel QSR) · FDD 2026 · from public state filings
DDisclosure honesty
This franchisor discloses earnings (Item 19) — but read how.
Investment
$157,795–$835,500
Total fees
9% of sales
Outlets
1,247
Closure signals
0 ceased, 14 terminated
Lawsuits
4
What their own earnings claim actually says
Discloses Net Sales only (no costs, no profit) for enclosed mall, outlet center, airport, and Cinnabon co-branded shops. Excludes streetside, concession, most co-branded, and non-eligible units. No income or expense data provided.
Honesty grade D: the disclosed numbers are incomplete or framed to look better than an owner's real take-home.
Failure & turnover reality (Item 20)
14 terminations and 12+ permanent closures in 2025; ceased-operations column shows zero but closures noted in Item 19 footnotes.
Legal history (Item 3)
4 matters disclosed.
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The franchisor won't put real owner profit in writing. We do — reconstructed from their own FDD.
Franchisor's framing: Discloses Net Sales only (no costs, no profit) for enclosed mall, outlet center, airport, and C…
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Full fee stack + required-purchase markups
Decoded real failure / closure rate
How it ranks vs comparable franchises
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The FDD lists a total initial investment of about $157,795–$835,500, including a $35,500 initial franchise fee.
How much do Auntie Anne's franchise owners make?
Discloses Net Sales only (no costs, no profit) for enclosed mall, outlet center, airport, and Cinnabon co-branded shops. Excludes streetside, concession, most co-branded, and non-eligible units. No income or expense data provided. We grade this disclosure D for honesty.
What is the Auntie Anne's franchise failure rate?
14 terminations and 12+ permanent closures in 2025; ceased-operations column shows zero but closures noted in Item 19 footnotes.
Is a Auntie Anne's franchise worth it?
It depends on the numbers, not the pitch. Auntie Anne's scores D on disclosure honesty, carries about 9% of sales in ongoing fees, and discloses 4 legal matters. Get the real owner take-home before you sign.
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Source: MN CARDS 35777-202604-09 (Clean FDD 2026). FranchiseValidate is independent and not affiliated with Auntie Anne's or its franchisor. Figures are extracted from the franchisor's own public disclosure document; verify against the current FDD before any decision.