Overall costs for Auntie Anne's Pretzels run anywhere from $155,350 to $437,500. See how the costs break down and what funding options might be right for your new venture into the franchise foray.
How COVID-19 affects franchising costs
Strict sanitation and employee protection measures during the coronavirus outbreak add to the typical costs you face when opening a new franchise. Paired with the unusually heavy amount of promotions that may be required by the franchise, you may not see as much in the way of profits starting out. For more information on what support is out there, read our guide to
loans for businesses affected by the coronavirus.
Estimated initial costs
Our cost estimates are accurate as of 2019 from
https://www.franchisedirect.com and include opening fees and expenses only. Your location may result in higher or lower fees.
Franchise fees
Auntie Anne's Pretzels franchise fees total around $30,000, which beats out the $37,000 average for the 200 largest franchises nationwide.
| Initial franchise fee |
$30,000 to $30,000 |
| Estimated total |
$30,000 to $30,000 |
Equipment fees
Equipment fees total $67,125 for Auntie Anne's Pretzels. This is less than the $180,023 average for the top 200 franchises.
| Equipment package |
$28,000 to $47,000 |
| Millwork |
$5,000 to $24,000 |
| Furniture |
$0 to $2,500 |
| Menu board, graphics and interior signage |
$250 to $12,000 |
| Exterior signage |
$1,500 to $8,500 |
| Smallwares |
$1,000 to $4,500 |
| Estimated total |
$35,750 to $98,500 |
Real estate fees
Real estate will set you back $115,500 for Auntie Anne's Pretzels, thought it's less than the average of $788,376 for the top 200 franchises.
| Construction and build-out costs |
$40,000 to $150,000 |
| Architect and engineer |
$2,000 to $12,000 |
| Rent |
$2,000 to $10,000 |
| Security deposits |
$0 to $15,000 |
| Estimated total |
$44,000 to $187,000 |
Training fees
Auntie Anne's Pretzels initial training costs total $8,650, which comes in under the nationwide average of $9,788.
| Computer system and software training |
$4,300 to $13,000 |
| Estimated total |
$4,300 to $13,000 |
Inventory costs
Initial inventory for Auntie Anne's Pretzels shakes out to $3,650. This is less than the nationwide average of $53,119.
| Opening inventory |
$3,300 to $4,000 |
| Estimated total |
$3,300 to $4,000 |
Marketing costs
Advertisement and marketing costs total up to $3,000 for Auntie Anne's Pretzels, beating out the nationwide average of $9,938.
| Grand opening marketing |
$1,000 to $5,000 |
| Estimated total |
$1,000 to $5,000 |
Licenses and permits costs
Auntie Anne's Pretzels initial licenses and permits will set you back $3,000. This comes out to less than $18,770 — the overall nationwide average.
| Permits |
$2,000 to $4,000 |
| Estimated total |
$2,000 to $4,000 |
Insurance costs
Initial insurance costs for Auntie Anne's Pretzels run $6,000. This means you'll be paying less than the overall nationwide average of $6,311.
| Insurance |
$2,000 to $10,000 |
| Estimated total |
$2,000 to $10,000 |
Administrative fees
Auntie Anne's Pretzels administrative fees total up to $7,500 — which comes in over the overall nationwide average of $6,761.
| Legal and accounting fees |
$5,000 to $10,000 |
| Audit |
Cost of audit. |
| Estimated total |
$5,000 to $10,000 |
Other expenses
Miscellaneous expenses for Auntie Anne's Pretzels total $52,000 — less than the nationwide average of $69,970.
| Miscellaneous opening costs and office supplies |
$13,000 to $25,000 |
| Three months' additional funds |
$15,000 to $51,000 |
| Estimated total |
$28,000 to $76,000 |
All costs were found using the 200 largest franchises nationwide using Franchise Direct's list of more than 300 franchises, and are accurate as of 2019.
How to finance
The best way to finance Auntie Anne's Pretzels comes down to your personal financial situation. What assets you have available will largely determine how much you need to borrow, and which option suits you best. Potential solutions include:
- Bank loan. Your personal credit plays a large role in getting a business term loan from a bank. Typically this type of funding is for larger amounts.
- Online loan. Credit requirements may be more flexible for an online loan than a bank loan, but amounts may max out at a lower amount — typically around $1 million.
- SBA loan. The good part about SBA loans is that they top out at $5 million, but your business has to meet a number of requirements.
- Credit card. Small costs that aren't fixed, such as stray inventory and supply purchases, may be better off on a business credit card. Just make sure you can pay it off quickly to avoid high APRs.
Also check if Auntie Anne's Pretzels franchise financing is available. You may be able to get some of the costs covered for less than you would with other traditional funding options.
Compare small business lenders
How Auntie Anne's Pretzels stacks up
Compare how Auntie Anne's Pretzels holds up against two similarly sized franchises.
| Average Franchise fees |
$52,500 |
$30,000 |
NA |
| Average Equipment fees |
NA |
$67,125 |
NA |
| Average Real estate fees |
$2,250 |
$115,500 |
NA |
| Average Training fees |
$3,250 |
$8,650 |
NA |
| Average Inventory fees |
$4,250 |
$3,650 |
NA |
| Average Marketing fees |
NA |
$3,000 |
NA |
| Average Licenses and permits fees |
NA |
$3,000 |
NA |
| Average Insurance fees |
$2,000 |
$6,000 |
NA |
| Average Admin fees |
NA |
$7,500 |
NA |
| Average Personnel fees |
NA |
NA |
NA |
| Average Other fees |
$15,000 |
$52,000 |
NA |
Bottom line
Auntie Anne's Pretzels franchise costs run a total of $296,425. Before you decide to become a franchisee, compare the total costs against industry averages. And to learn more about financing
read our guide to franchise financing.
