Focus Adds Auntie Anne’s To Its Lineup

Never let it be said that Focus Brands doesn’t have wide-ranging taste in foodservice companies. In a deal expected to close later this fall, Focus has signed a definitive agreement to purchase Auntie Anne’s, adding soft pretzels to a brand lineup which already sells ice cream, coffee, baked goods, sandwiches and BBQ.

Auntie Anne’s, based in Lancaster, Pa., has nearly 1,100 stores in 44 states and 21 countries. It becomes Focus Brands sixth franchise brand; the company also owns Carvel, Cinnabon, Moe’s Southwest Grill, Schlotzky’s and Seattle’s Best Coffee; it franchises and operates more than 2,200 units in the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and 38 foreign countries under those brands. Focus Brands is a subsidiary of Roark Capital Group, an Atlanta-based private equity firm which also franchises McAlister’s Deli and Wingstop.