Auntie Anne's Pretzels will celebrate 24 years of business inside the Dayton Mall in August. Owners Michael Hatcher and Rick Taylor, along with General Manager Timothy Chafins (pictured), are dedicated to great service and community partnership. A fundraiser is planned on National Pretzel Day, April 26, so keep reading to learn how you can help Dayton Children's Hospital.
Tell us about how Auntie Anne’s-Dayton Mall started:
Rick Taylor, owner:
I became a part of the Auntie Anne’s franchise system in 1993 after my position as an Information Systems manager was eliminated during a large downsizing at LEXIS NEXIS (then known as Mead Data Central.) I was looking for a stable business that offered a simple, wholesome product that anyone could afford. During my research, everything about Auntie Anne’s Pretzels seemed right, and when I met the inspirational founder, “Auntie” Anne Beiler, I knew that this was a perfect fit. The Dayton Mall welcomed my business with open arms, and our made-from-scratch, hand-rolled, just-baked pretzels became an overnight sensation.
When my business grew to the point that I needed help, I invited Mike Hatcher, a former LEXIS NEXIS associate of mine, to take an active role in the business. His marketing, public relations, and project management skills helped grow local awareness of our products and keep our operations running smoothly.
Mike and I brought Timothy Chafins on board in 2008, as opportunities for new locations and staff development arose. Tim brought a wealth of restaurant management experience to us, and as our General Manager, he has improved our efficiency and profitability. Tim also has become a familiar face to most area Girl Scouts, having trained over 7,000 kids as “Honorary Pretzel Rollers” during Pretzel Field Trips.
Dayton Mall store sales are among the highest in the company!
Mike Hatcher, co-owner
: “Fresh, hot golden-brown pretzels in a sparkling-clean store with outstanding customer service.” The real Auntie Anne calls that ‘The Threefold Philosophy.’ If we are consistently doing that, our product virtually sells itself. And, Miami Township is such a great place to be. We make a craveable snack, which for most people is an impulse purchase. So, another big part of our success is due to the great, steady foot traffic that area residents bring to the Dayton Mall. Our location is generally twice as busy as the national average for Auntie Anne’s stores. We are very grateful to our talented employees and our loyal customers for making that possible.
What are some of your best sellers?
Timothy Chafins, General Manager
: Our best sellers have always been the Original pretzel, which is lightly salted and brushed with butter, and the Cinnamon Sugar pretzel, which tastes like the best cinnamon toast you’ve ever had. Newer products like pretzel Nuggets and Mini Pretzel Dogs (a miniature all-beef hot dog wrapped in a crisp pretzel blanket) are also very popular. One unique thing about our products is their freshness. Every product we make is served hot – within 30 minutes or less of being hand-rolled and baked. (Not many bakeries can say that!) Thankfully, even the pretzels that exceed the 30-minute limit have a higher purpose – we refrigerate them and donate them to local food charities.
April 26 is National Pretzel Day. How will the store celebrate?
Rick:
For the past 14 years, our Dayton Mall store has celebrated April 26 by donating 100% of that day’s sales to the Dayton Children’s Hospital. Together with the generosity of our customers who have also contributed their spare change, we have raised over $107,000 to date. We chose Dayton Children’s as our designated charity because their great work benefits everyone in the Miami Valley.
Why is it so important to give back to the community?
Mike:
It resonates with us on so many levels. Auntie Anne began her first farmer’s market pretzel stand to raise money to help provide free family counseling services to members of her local community near Lancaster, Pennsylvania. We honor that legacy by finding ways to make life better for children and their families in our local area. The contributions we make every summer to Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF) help fight childhood cancer nationwide.
Auntie Anne’s celebrated its 30
th
anniversary in March? What do you attribute to the store’s great success?
Tim:
As the Auntie Anne’s brand has grown and expanded over 30 years, we have all tried to remember that simple things, done right and done well can have a major impact. The word “pretzel” comes from the Latin word for ‘little reward.’ We strive to be a bright spot – a little reward – for every customer that visits us and to the communities we serve.
Anything else you’d like to share?
We feel so fortunate to have opened our business in Miami Township. The many great folks who live here have been the foundation of our loyal customer base, as well as a tremendous resource to find hard-working employees.
