Yoma Strategic and the parent company of pretzel franchise Auntie Anne’s – Focus Brands – are to bring the popular hand-rolled soft pretzel store to Myanmar. Myanmar’s first Auntie Anne’s outlet is scheduled to open in Yangon in the coming months with a more ambitious expansion planned over the next five years.
Auntie Anne’s recently celebrated 30 years of operations and currently has more than 1800 outlets in 30 countries, including more than 600 locations outside of the US. The brand has established a strong presence in Asia.
Yoma Strategic CEO Mr. Melvyn Pun said the company was seeing considerable growth in the market for freshly baked goods.
“While many street vendors do offer traditional Myanmar alternatives, the addition of an iconic international brand will only enrich the local foodscape. It is also a big opportunity for a global brand to come in and offer consumers an exciting new twist on the current offerings in this sector.”
Yoma F&B’s franchise portfolio also includes KFC and Little Sheep Hotpot. Yoma F&B is targeting the shifting consumption patterns and the rising discretionary disposable income of Myanmar’s expanding middle class, a group forecasted to reach 10 million by 2023.
