Hoopster Shaq Buys Area Pretzel Franchise

NEW YORK (Friday, October 12, 2007) - The Auntie Anne's preztel franchise in Western New York will soon have a towering presence.

Shaquille O'Neal, center for the National Basketball Association's Miami Heat, has formed a partnership with a Milwaukee-based company and will acquire eight locally run Auntie Anne's franchises.

O'Neal Franchise Group is teaming up with V&J Foods on the pretzel venture to purchase the outlets here and open a half dozen more in Detroit. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The eight franchises are located at Walden Galleria and Boulevard Mall -- one in-line store and one satellite retail unit in each location. The other four stores are at McKinley Mall, Eastern Hills Mall, Chautauqua Mall in Jamestown, and Olean Center Mall.

Auntie Anne's of Gap, Pa., was founded in 1988 and has 750 shops in the United States and 950 worldwide. The firm's rolled pretzels and other snacks typically are sold from small outlets in shopping malls and airports. Sales in 2006 totaled $293 million.

V&J, which also operates numerous Burger King and Pizza Hut restaurants, has been ranked as the largest female minority-owned franchisee in the country.

View all Auntie Anne's Hand-Rolled Soft Pretzels Press Releases

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