Auntie Anne’s pretzels will open its first Central Coast location — here’s where
Good news for pretzel fans — Auntie Anne’s is coming to Atascadero.
The made-to-order pretzel chain — long known as a mall and shopping center staple — will occupy a space in a development under construction at the corner of El Camino Real and Highway 41, according to Jeff Olds, who will run the eatery.
The new Auntie Anne’s will operate jointly with their Jamba Juice that’s planned for the spot directly next door, Olds said.
Both chains are owned by Focus Brands, and operating them together is a one-of-a-kind venture on the West Coast, Olds said.
“It came up as a possibility to pair up with Auntie Anne’s, which is a perfect complement to Jamba’s smoothies,” he said.
The Atascadero shop will be the chain’s first Central Coast location — right now, fans must drive to the Valley Plaza Mall in Bakersfield or the Northridge Mall in Salinas for their fix.
Fresno developer Sam Bogdanovich of BogMar Properties LLC owns the property, and a three-space retail and construction development has been in the works since 2017.
An AT&T retail store will occupy the remaining spot, Olds said.
Olds, who is CEO of SLO Life Company, LLC, and his wife, Linda Ozawa Olds, are local Jamba Juice franchisees.
The couple own many of the chain’s shops on the Central Coast, including locations in San Luis Obispo, Arroyo Grande, Paso Robles and Santa Maria.
They also operate five Jamba Juice shops in Bakersfield, some of which are next door to Auntie Anne’s locations, Olds said.
“It’s really interesting to see how many of our guests will buy a smoothie and then go over and buy a pretzel,” he said.
Together, Auntie Anne’s and Jamba Juice will employee about 30 people, Olds said. The two shops will likely open in late October.
This story was originally published August 28, 2019 at 5:00 AM.
