Randy Labosco began as a single-unit Auntie Anne’s franchisee at a Florida mall 30 years in the past. Immediately, the “Pretzel King of DFW” operates seven Auntie Anne’s throughout Dallas Fort Price Worldwide Airport (DFW), the third-busiest airport on this planet — and he is not accomplished but. With plans to increase to as many as 15 whole shops, together with future Cinnabon and Jamba items, he is turn into one of the vital skilled and profitable nontraditional franchise operators within the nation.
“It is walkaway meals,” Labosco tells Entrepreneur. “You’ll be able to pull a suitcase, carry a pretzel and never offend anybody sitting subsequent to you on a aircraft. And most clients already know what they need, so we serve them in beneath a minute.”
That velocity — together with consistency, location technique and a deeply loyal group — has made Labosco a mannequin franchisee for Auntie Anne’s nontraditional playbook. His journey is proof of a bigger development: Manufacturers that grasp nontraditional venues like airports are discovering highly effective, scalable progress the place others cannot.
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“Constructed for velocity”
Labosco’s success is a component of a bigger development: Auntie Anne’s (#87 on the 2025 Franchise 500) outside-the-box technique. Nontraditional franchising refers back to the growth of a franchise model into areas exterior the standard storefront mannequin. As an alternative of working in commonplace retail areas like purchasing facilities or strip malls, nontraditional franchises are positioned in high-traffic, typically captive environments, akin to airports, journey plazas and relaxation stops, school campuses, stadiums and amusement parks.
These venues typically supply smaller footprints, larger foot site visitors and distinctive operational challenges (akin to restricted storage, safety protocols or quick turnover necessities). The objective of nontraditional franchising is to fulfill clients the place they already are — capturing impulse purchases and maximizing model publicity in areas that demand velocity, portability and consistency.
In 2025 alone, the model has already signed 13 new nontraditional agreements. In keeping with father or mother firm GoTo Meals’ chief growth officer Bobby Morena, “Auntie Anne’s is constructed for velocity — and velocity is king in high-volume areas.”
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Why airports work
To grasp why Auntie Anne’s is flourishing in airports, simply image the typical traveler: hungry, rushed and in search of one thing quick, acquainted and moveable. “The model is completely suited to high-throughput environments like airports, transit hubs and arenas,” Morena says, “locations the place clients do not have time to browse however nonetheless need one thing sizzling and satisfying.”
Auntie Anne’s compact format and immediately recognizable merchandise make it a great match for these high-velocity settings. Most airport friends already know what they need, which helps hold traces transferring. Plus, the model’s “aroma-forward” mannequin is a strategic benefit: Vacationers typically odor Auntie Anne’s earlier than they see it, and the scent of fresh-baked pretzels pulls them in.
For franchisees like Labosco, these benefits are backed by information. His airport areas constantly outperform conventional mall shops, not simply in quantity however in gross sales per sq. foot. And because of Auntie Anne’s operational effectivity, even one point-of-sale terminal can generate hundreds of thousands in income. “Our airport shops do about 70% extra in gross sales than conventional,” Labosco says. “Now we have one which’s 330 sq. ft with one point-of-sale, and it is our busiest retailer — it did over $2.2 million final yr. It’s totally fast-paced and has perhaps 12 ft of frontage. It is superb how a lot we are able to do per sq. foot in gross sales in comparison with a lot greater areas.”
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Operational playbook
However as Morena notes, success in an airport is not nearly foot site visitors. “Airports aren’t simple,” he says. “There are strict safety protocols, restricted storage and stress to serve constantly in any respect hours. It takes a succesful operator to thrive.” That is the place Auntie Anne’s assist infrastructure — and the expertise of franchisees like Labosco — turns into essential. GoTo Meals gives an airport-specific operations playbook, together with tailor-made assist to assist franchisees navigate all the things from compliance and development to staffing and scheduling.
“Our group is concerned from the beginning,” Morena says. “We assist determine the suitable terminal areas, deal with design and allowing and even development. Not each location inside an airport is created equal — we wish our shops positioned for optimum visibility and circulate.”
Franchisees additionally acquire entry to shared companies throughout GoTo Meals’ portfolio, together with provide chain administration, coaching, IT and advertising and marketing. And in 2025, that assist consists of one thing extremely seen: a full visible model refresh. As a part of a broader model modernization, Auntie Anne’s is reworking greater than 150 areas this yr — together with one among Labosco’s DFW items. The up to date look includes a halo-free pretzel brand, daring new coloration palette, modular development, open kitchen design, digital menu boards and a devoted cellular pickup zone.
“It is a good looking new look,” Morena says. “It retains us related — and while you’re in an airport serving hundreds of thousands of vacationers a yr, that issues.”
Labosco agrees. “The assist at the moment is night time and day from once I began 30 years in the past,” he says. “Now we have design, development, IT and ops working collectively from day one. It makes progress lots smoother.”
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Wanting forward
With air journey on the rise and vacationers spending extra time — and cash — inside terminals, Auntie Anne’s sees nontraditional venues not as a aspect technique, however as the way forward for its model. “We’re assembly friends the place they’re,” Morena says. “Most of the time, that is in movement — in airports, stadiums, campuses and transit hubs.”
The model’s daring new retailer design is constructed to assist that progress. And with operators like Labosco main the way in which, Auntie Anne’s has proof that the mannequin works in tight areas and beneath stress. Labosco, for his half, is simply getting began. “My objective is 12 to fifteen whole shops at DFW,” he says.
As Auntie Anne’s continues to evolve past the mall meals court docket, one factor is obvious: The way forward for franchising could look a bit of totally different — and it would simply odor like pretzels.
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Randy Labosco began as a single-unit Auntie Anne’s franchisee at a Florida mall 30 years in the past. Immediately, the “Pretzel King of DFW” operates seven Auntie Anne’s throughout Dallas Fort Price Worldwide Airport (DFW), the third-busiest airport on this planet — and he is not accomplished but. With plans to increase to as many as 15 whole shops, together with future Cinnabon and Jamba items, he is turn into one of the vital skilled and profitable nontraditional franchise operators within the nation.
“It is walkaway meals,” Labosco tells Entrepreneur. “You’ll be able to pull a suitcase, carry a pretzel and never offend anybody sitting subsequent to you on a aircraft. And most clients already know what they need, so we serve them in beneath a minute.”
That velocity — together with consistency, location technique and a deeply loyal group — has made Labosco a mannequin franchisee for Auntie Anne’s nontraditional playbook. His journey is proof of a bigger development: Manufacturers that grasp nontraditional venues like airports are discovering highly effective, scalable progress the place others cannot.
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