If you have never tried a pretzel-wrapped hotdog, then you are missing out.
Auntie Annie’s is considered by many as the snack of the gods and an airport and shopping mall mainstay.
But are they good employers?
The franchise-based company was founded by Anne F. Beiler and her husband, Jonas, in Downingtown, PA, in 1988.
Auntie Anne’s, named after its founder, is often co-located with Cinnabon outlets.
Both Auntie Anne’s and Cinnabon are brand names owned by Focus Brands.
Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, its unique, buttery pretzel-wrapped hot dogs and signature Lemonade are sold at over 1,300 franchised shops in the United States.
According to the popular job listing site Indeed, this snack employer rates 3.5 out of 5, based on over 2,300 anonymous worker reviews.
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Pros of Working for Auntie Anne’s
As possibly the world’s largest Pretzel franchise, Auntie Annie’s has developed a distinctive in-store baking process.
Hot, fresh pretzels are the name of the game, and dipping sauces add variety.
But if you are interested in the company as a career, keep in mind that each franchised location will deviate slightly from the corporate norm.
There are stereotypical positions, from pretzel maker to shift manager for individually owned and franchised stores.
But whatever your duties, there are a lot of Pros to working for Auntie Annie’s.
Starting wages
In the movie McClintock, John Wayne offers a ranch hand “A fair day’s work for a fair day’s wage.”
This concept has been the hallmark of American life for centuries.
So it is safe to say that money is integral to daily life.
And according to Zippia’s business site, Auntie Anne’s ranks in the upper third for crew member hourly pay.
Glass Door lists the average entry-level worker at $13 per hour.
Pretzel bakers make $30,000, with more experienced dough gurus dipping into about $36,000.
But most of the franchisees pay at a median rate.
Something of interest to potential crew members, Auntie Anne’s is known to pay tenured employees and management at a noticeably higher rate – $40 per hour.
And unsurprisingly, geography plays a large part in wages paid.
Team-minded
Auntie Anne’s employees list strong team building and a fun atmosphere as one of the best reasons for working there.
One-third of surveyed employees rate the pretzel giant as a ‘fun place to work.’
While there is some deviation between franchise and community, Auntie Anne’s recognizes that its franchise-based jobs support their community and welcome those with varied experiences and backgrounds.
Diversity
With franchises focused on the United States, hand-made pretzels are an American standard.
However, Auntie Anne’s and Focus Brands believe in the importance of a heterogeneous workforce.
Led by a female president, women are the majority of employees.
And overall, the fast-service food company’s diversity is rated 3.9 out of 5 on the Indeed website.
Citizenship
As the dominant name in soft pretzels, Auntie Anne’s collaborates with Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF) to raise awareness and support families facing childhood cancer.
Since its partnership in 2011, Auntie Anne’s has raised more than $3.7 million for this destructive disease.
A good start
Most look at quick-service positions as easy-entry jobs.
Unsurprisingly, Auntie Anne’s crew members stick around for roughly two years.
Individuals under 18 are open to crew positions – cashiers and counter sales.
The company is one of the few fast service locations that will hire 14 and 15-year-olds (with some caveats).
But the standard hiring age is 16.
After your 18th birthday, raises, bonuses, and promotions are a possibility.
General managers are most often drawn from franchise owners.
And promotion is store dependent, taking into consideration performance, attitude, and work quality.
Flexibility
For most, the allure of fast-service employment is the possibility of a flexible work schedule.
And Auntie Anne’s is no different.
Most locations in malls and airports have limited operating times, so there is still time to study or kiss the kiddos goodnight.
Free-standing locations operating times reflect the surrounding community.
Opportunities
Imagine getting paid to work in a fun and energetic environment that supports personal well-being.
An easy gig.
But in addition to decent pay and flexible hours, the best benefit of Auntie Anne’s is free pretzels and dipping sauce.
The rewards for the managerial and corporate crew are higher pay, health and dental insurance, bonuses, and vacation pay.
Admittedly, most think of summer jobs as a learning experience.
And Auntie Anne’s is an enjoyable part-time gig.
But, there are also some recognizable deficiencies.
So twisting dough is your passion, then a scant amount of research may define your options.
Cons of Working for Auntie Annies
A brilliant business concept, Auntie Anne’s leads the soft pretzel industry.
But not everyone fits into this well-structured workspace.
High Turnover
Auntie Anne’s reputation for success, Wendy’s crew members take to business review sites lamenting long hours and lack of recognition by management.
Many consider the conditions stressful.
While the locations are simple in their set-up, customer lines are serpentine.
Unsurprisingly, the turnover is directly related to ownership.
So, if you need a forgiving atmosphere or hot cheese dips are not your thing, you may want to pass on crewing for the pretzel behemoth.
Franchise-town
Let’s not forget that Auntie Anne’s is a franchise model-based corporation owned by a private equity firm.
All stores are owned and governed by franchisees.
Yes, there are overarching corporate policies, but individual owners dictate the corporate climate.
This dual-styled administration can be fulfilling or lead to discord.
On the one hand, Focus Brands pledges transparency and honesty.
However, unique management styles often eclipse corporate axioms.
In these environments, workloads overwhelm, and crew members feel unappreciated.
Hard work
As mentioned before, fast food service is hard work.
Even if you respect your boss and are comfortable with your weekly check.
The main reason cited by anonymous employee reviews is the vagaries of dealing with people.
So, if you find it hard to refrain from speaking your mind, a customer-facing job as a pretzel crew specialist may not be a positive career choice.
Reputation
Auntie Anne’s has a positive reputation attributed mostly to the values instilled by its founder.
A woman of strong conviction, her demand for quality products and services is part of the company’s core values.
Unfortunately, each independent franchise refines its focus – some without attention to crew needs or grievances.
And while 59% of crew members would recommend the job to a friend, a bit of online research will uncover a wide range of reviews.
Unrelenting pressure
Repetitive work for modest pay and constant exposure to public censure makes working in the quick-food arena some of the hardest entry-level jobs available.
And while there are positive benefits, many employees find the pressure and expectations create an exhausting environment.
Rules are everywhere
To be successful in a high-paced work environment requires a well-honed process.
Rules are also the foundation of quality control.
And when serving food, quality control is key.
For a multi-national food service corporation, compliance with regulatory agencies is mandatory.
Do ongoing rules make you uncomfortable?
Then working in food service may not be a good career option.
Multiple managerial levels
Multiple levels of managers, one for each employment category, sounds like a good thing.
However, upon closer investigation, having a hoard of managers and leaders creates a complex hierarchical structure that contributes to competition rather than teamwork.
Furthermore, each is paid at a different level.
However, if you look at the list of positions, there are only a few jobs at the crew member or cashier level.
These two invariably answer to all of the uplines.
Add to that on-site bureaucracy and the burden of corporate and franchise management, and the convolutions of the business mirror that of its best-selling pretzel twists.
14 Pros and Cons of Working for Auntie Anne’s – Summary Table
| Pros of Working for Auntie Anne's | Cons of Working for Auntie Annies |
|---|---|
| Starting wages | High Turnover |
| Team-minded | Franchise-town |
| Diversity | Hard work |
| Citizenship | Reputation |
| A good start | Unrelenting pressure |
| Flexibility | Rules are everywhere |
| Opportunities | Multiple managerial levels |
Should You Work for Auntie Anne’s?
If you’re looking for an established company with name recognition, Auntie Anne’s is a reasonable choice.
Auntie Anne’s is arguably a uniquely successful franchise structure.
Owned by private equity conglomerate Roark Capital Group, its siblings include Schlotzsky’s and Jamba.
At last estimate, the decadent and dippable finger food earned over $500 million annually.
But as positive as it sounds, Auntie Anne’s may not be the impetus behind your first job.
Franchise structures come with numerous issues.
So scant research may be necessary to unravel its core culture and values.
Online searches are suggested, as data varies depending on what career site you choose.
But whether you look at Indeed or put your trust in Glassdoor, these sites are a general source of employee reviews and pay scales.
