Pretzels with a Purpose: The Role of Christianity in the Auntie Anne's Brand

Auntie Anne's pretzel company began in 1988 as a single stall in a Pennsylvania farmer's market. Founder and owner Anne Beiler grew up in a Lancaster County Amish­Mennonite community and sought to embed her religious values within the business. Once FOCUS Brands Inc., an affiliate of Roark Capital Group, purchased the company in 2010, the business maintained success through the perception that the Auntie Anne's brand had a higher purpose beyond profit. This business performs as an example of Christianbased companies that can expand successfully in the United States and abroad by projecting an altruistic image. Auntie Anne's marketing materials and employee opportunities imply that working for or buying their products contributes to ethical and Christian consumption. But the company does not clearly abide by Christian principles in all aspects of business. Instead, the benevolence of Auntie Anne's is created by its executives rather than represented through tangible actions. Bread products are laden with religious associations. According to many scholars, "Food has long ceased to be merely about sustenance and nutrition. It is packed with social, cultural, and symbolic meanings."[1] Bread is important to Christians as the figurative body of Jesus. Muslims eat bread at the celebration following the month­long fast of Ramadan. Jews have challah for Shabbat and matzo for Passover. In this way, Auntie Anne's utilized the pre­existing connotations of bread to create spiritual significance in their pretzel product.