The story behind Auntie Anne’s pretzels is one sweet success story–with an improvisational twist. In 1988, when she had just started to sell pretzels at a farmer’s market near Amish country in Pennsylvania, Anne “Auntie Anne’s” Beiler discovered her supplier had sent her the wrong ingredients. She made do (exactly how is a trade secret), wowed the crowds and a year later set up franchises.
We like the story. And, as the Lancaster County, Pa., chain invades an increasing number of Chicago-area malls, we like the pretzels: hand-twisted before your eyes, baked behind the counter and enhanced with flavors to fight what-to-munch-next boredom.
The big, soft original-flavor pretzel, lightly touched with butter shouldn’t be the time to quibble.)
Other choices include cinnamon sugar (a favorite), sour cream and onion, whole wheat, sesame, garlic, caramel almond and a wonderfully sticky, raisin pretzel. We had good luck freezing leftovers, then reheating them briefly the next morning in a 350-degree oven.
Depending on the mall location and pretzel flavor, costs vary from $1.33 to $1.69 each. Flavored dips (including cheese, sweet mustard, marinara and chocolate) are available for about 35 cents but make the combined taste quite salty.
Do try the hand-squeezed fresh lemonade for about $1.
This summer four new stores are expected to join the 14 locations in shopping centers, which include Brickyard, Ford City and Harlem Irving Plaza in Chicago; Fox Valley in Aurora; Orland Square, Orland Park; Stratford Square, Bloomingdale; Lincolnwood Town Center, Lincolnwood, and Yorktown, Lombard.