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Entrepreneur
24-07-2025
- Business
- Entrepreneur
His Tiny Auntie Anne's Made $2.2 Million — Here's How
Randy Labosco started as a single-unit Auntie Anne's franchisee at a Florida mall 30 years ago. Today, the "Pretzel King of DFW" operates seven Auntie Anne's across Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), the third-busiest airport in the world — and he's not done yet. With plans to expand to as many as 15 total stores, including future Cinnabon and Jamba units, he's become one of the most experienced and successful nontraditional franchise operators in the country. "It's walkaway food," Labosco tells Entrepreneur. "You can pull a suitcase, carry a pretzel and not offend anyone sitting next to you on a plane. And most customers already know what they want, so we serve them in under a minute." That speed — along with consistency, location strategy and a deeply loyal team — has made Labosco a model franchisee for Auntie Anne's nontraditional playbook. His journey is proof of a larger trend: Brands that master nontraditional venues like airports are finding powerful, scalable growth where others can't. Related: Considering franchise ownership? Get started now to find your personalized list of franchises that match your lifestyle, interests and budget. "Built for speed" Labosco's success is part of a larger trend: Auntie Anne's (#87 on the 2025 Franchise 500) outside-the-box strategy. Nontraditional franchising refers to the expansion of a franchise brand into locations outside the typical storefront model. Instead of operating in standard retail spaces like shopping centers or strip malls, nontraditional franchises are located in high-traffic, often captive environments, such as airports, travel plazas and rest stops, college campuses, stadiums and amusement parks. These venues often offer smaller footprints, higher foot traffic and unique operational challenges (such as limited storage, security protocols or fast turnover requirements). The goal of nontraditional franchising is to meet customers where they already are — capturing impulse purchases and maximizing brand exposure in spaces that demand speed, portability and consistency. In 2025 alone, the brand has already signed 13 new nontraditional agreements. According to parent company GoTo Foods' chief development officer Bobby Morena, "Auntie Anne's is built for speed — and speed is king in high-volume spaces." Related: Here's how we determined the annual Franchise 500 ranking — and what we learned from the data. Why airports work To understand why Auntie Anne's is thriving in airports, just picture the average traveler: hungry, rushed and looking for something fast, familiar and portable. "The brand is perfectly suited for high-throughput environments like airports, transit hubs and arenas," Morena says, "places where customers don't have time to browse but still want something hot and satisfying." Auntie Anne's compact format and instantly recognizable products make it an ideal fit for these high-velocity settings. Most airport guests already know what they want, which helps keep lines moving. Plus, the brand's "aroma-forward" model is a strategic advantage: Travelers often smell Auntie Anne's before they see it, and the scent of fresh-baked pretzels pulls them in. For franchisees like Labosco, those advantages are backed by data. His airport locations consistently outperform traditional mall stores, not just in volume but in sales per square foot. And thanks to Auntie Anne's operational efficiency, even one point-of-sale terminal can generate millions in revenue. "Our airport stores do about 70% more in sales than traditional," Labosco says. "We have one that's 330 square feet with one point-of-sale, and it's our busiest store — it did over $2.2 million last year. It's very fast-paced and has maybe 12 feet of frontage. It's amazing how much we can do per square foot in sales compared to much bigger locations." Related: How Entrepreneurs and First-Time Franchisees Can Become Effective Leaders Operational playbook But as Morena notes, success in an airport isn't just about foot traffic. "Airports aren't easy," he says. "There are strict security protocols, limited storage and pressure to serve consistently at all hours. It takes a capable operator to thrive." That's where Auntie Anne's support infrastructure — and the experience of franchisees like Labosco — becomes critical. GoTo Foods provides an airport-specific operations playbook, along with tailored support to help franchisees navigate everything from compliance and construction to staffing and scheduling. "Our team is involved from the start," Morena says. "We help identify the right terminal locations, handle design and permitting and even construction. Not every location inside an airport is created equal — we want our stores positioned for maximum visibility and flow." Franchisees also gain access to shared services across GoTo Foods' portfolio, including supply chain management, training, IT and marketing. And in 2025, that support includes something highly visible: a full visual brand refresh. As part of a broader brand modernization, Auntie Anne's is remodeling more than 150 locations this year — including one of Labosco's DFW units. The updated look features a halo-free pretzel logo, bold new color palette, modular construction, open kitchen design, digital menu boards and a dedicated mobile pickup zone. "It's a beautiful new look," Morena says. "It keeps us relevant — and when you're in an airport serving millions of travelers a year, that matters." Labosco agrees. "The support today is night and day from when I started 30 years ago," he says. "Now we've got design, construction, IT and ops working together from day one. It makes growth a lot smoother." Related: 3 Lessons I Learned Selling My Billion-Dollar Company Looking ahead With air travel on the rise and travelers spending more time — and money — inside terminals, Auntie Anne's sees nontraditional venues not as a side strategy, but as the future of its brand. "We're meeting guests where they are," Morena says. "More often than not, that's in motion — in airports, stadiums, campuses and transit hubs." The brand's bold new store design is built to support that growth. And with operators like Labosco leading the way, Auntie Anne's has proof that the model works in tight spaces and under pressure. Labosco, for his part, is just getting started. "My goal is 12 to 15 total stores at DFW," he says. As Auntie Anne's continues to evolve beyond the mall food court, one thing is clear: The future of franchising may look a little different — and it might just smell like pretzels. Join top CEOs, founders and operators at the Level Up conference to unlock strategies for scaling your business, boosting revenue and building sustainable success.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Beloved Fast Casual Chain Announces New Location
Portillo's, the popular fast-casual restaurant chain known for its Chicago-style hotdogs and Italian beef sandwiches, is opening its first-ever Portillo's airport location in Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. The airport diner will be located in Terminal B of the Dallas international airport and is one of two new restaurants opening next year, along with another set to open in The Villages, Florida, according to the company's website. "Our first-ever airport location ... will feature our new small dine-in only format, keeping efficiency and comfort for travelers in mind," the website states. "Unlike our traditional restaurants, the restaurant will feature a smaller, walk-up accessible footprint with multiple ordering touchpoints – including at the register, self-order kiosks and order ahead for pick up." The airport diner will also feature a "Portillo's Grab & Go area," along with a variety of seating options that can comfortably seat 50 guests, per the announcement. "This new location is the perfect way to cater to travelers seeking quick bites or leisurely meals—in true Chicago-style fashion," the website states. The store will offer the same menu items at the airport location, including their mouth-watering, Chicago-style hotdogs, the fan-favorite Italian beef sandwiches and Char-Grilled burgers, and last but not least, the Portillo's Famous Chocolate Cake. 'We're excited to introduce these new restaurant formats as a key step in Portillo's growth,' Michael Osanloo, Portillo's president and CEO, said in a statement. 'Our first airport location at DFW and our inline-style walk-up in The Villages are milestones in expanding our reach and bringing the Portillo's experience to even more people. 'These smaller-scale concepts are great for high-traffic areas," Osanloo added. "We're eager to see how they'll connect us with guests while delivering the craveable food and fun atmosphere our fans love." Beloved Fast Casual Chain Announces New Location - With Major Change first appeared on Men's Journal on May 23, 2025
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Rock band cancels tour after drummer detained by immigration authorities
Texas rock band Lord Buffalo had to cancel its European tour after their drummer was detained by U.S. border control agents while traveling. Yamal Said, who is a Mexican citizen and has a green card that allows him to live and work in the U.S. legally, was 'forcibly removed from our flight to Europe by Customs and Border Patrol at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport on Monday May 12,' Lord Buffalo wrote in a Facebook post Wednesday. 'We are devastated to cancel this tour, but we are focusing all of our energy and resources on Yamal's safety and freedom,' the band wrote. 'We are hopeful that this is a temporary setback and that it could be safe for us to reschedule this tour in the future.' Lord Buffalo's touring partners, Orsak:Oslo, will continue the tour as planned. The group encouraged fans to 'go see this amazing band' over the next few weeks. Lord Buffalo later posted an update that said the drummer 'secured the legal representation he needs' and we were waiting to hear on next steps. 'We appreciate the tremendous outpouring of support from y'all today. We still know very little about the situation, but we have been asked by our drummer's family and his legal team to respect their privacy while this situation evolves,' the band wrote in a separate Facebook post. 'We'll share updates from the family when we can. Thanks again for everyone's support. Lord Buffalo formed in Austin, Texas, in 2012 and consists of members Daniel Pruitt, Garrett Hellman, Patrick Patterson, and Yamal Said. The band, whose music has been classified as 'psych-Americana' and 'mud-folk,' is best known for its songs 'I Wait on the Door Slab' and 'Rowing in Eden.' 'Corrupt, incompetent and treasonous': Rock icon bashes Trump at UK show The Iron Horse in Northampton, now reopened a year, experiences a renaissance Metal band speaks out after other group blamed them for ending tour early Rapper stabbed 14 times in prison while serving 10-year sentence for shooting Country music pioneer 'whose artistry touched millions' dies at 73 Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Lord Buffalo cancels European tour after drummer was detained by U.S. border officials
Texas psych-Americana band Lord Buffalo has canceled its upcoming European tour after it claims that drummer Yamal Said was taken off a plane by border patrol agents on Monday. "We are heartbroken to announce we have to cancel our upcoming European tour. Our drummer, who is a Mexican citizen and lawful permanent resident of the United States (green card holder) was forcibly removed from our flight to Europe by Customs and Border Patrol at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport on Monday May 12," the band said in a Wednesday social media post. According to the group, Said has not been released from custody. "We are currently working with an immigration lawyer to find out more information and to attempt to secure his release," the band continued in its post. "We are devastated to cancel this tour, but we are focusing all of our energy and resources on Yamal's safety and freedom. We are hopeful that this is a temporary setback and that it could be safe for us to reschedule this tour in the future." Read more: Amid visa crackdown, foreign students in California and beyond reconsider summer travel Lord Buffalo later updated the message to announce that Said has secured legal representation. According to a CBP spokesperson, Said was detained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection while aboard a May 12 flight heading outside of the U.S. due to allegedly having an active arrest warrant. He was subsequently turned over to local law enforcement. The Times has reached out to Lord Buffalo for comment. The Texas band is not the first musical act to claim they have needed to postpone or cancel shows due to immigration issues in recent months. In April, British singer FKA twigs announced in an Instagram post that she had to cancel series of concerts for the month in North America — including a slot at Coachella 2025 — due to "ongoing visa issues." Read more: Trump's visa policies have foreign musicians on edge. How will they affect Coachella and touring? Earlier this month, Chicago's Michelada Fest, a Spanish-language music festival that had acts scheduled from across the globe, was canceled due to concerns over artists' visas. "Due to the uncertainty surrounding artist visas and the rapidly changing political climate, we're no longer able to guarantee the full experience we had dreamed up for you with all your favorite artists," the festival's organizers explained in a statement. "Although we tried to push through, it became clear that we wouldn't be able to deliver the full lineup as planned." The organizers would go on to write that, as an independent outfit, Michelada Fest "can't afford to take on a big risk with so much uncertainty ahead." Grupo Firme, Anitta, Danny Ocean, Tokischa and Luis R. Conriquez were scheduled to perform at the July festival. Get our Latinx Files newsletter for stories that capture the complexity of our communities. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Lord Buffalo cancels European tour after drummer was detained by U.S. border officials
Texas psych-Americana band Lord Buffalo has canceled its upcoming European tour after it claims that drummer Yamal Said was taken off a plane by border patrol agents on Monday. 'We are heartbroken to announce we have to cancel our upcoming European tour. Our drummer, who is a Mexican citizen and lawful permanent resident of the United States (green card holder) was forcibly removed from our flight to Europe by Customs and Border Patrol at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport on Monday May 12,' the band said in a Wednesday social media post. According to the group, Said has not been released from custody. 'We are currently working with an immigration lawyer to find out more information and to attempt to secure his release,' the band continued in its post. 'We are devastated to cancel this tour, but we are focusing all of our energy and resources on Yamal's safety and freedom. We are hopeful that this is a temporary setback and that it could be safe for us to reschedule this tour in the future.' Lord Buffalo later updated the message to announce that Said has secured legal representation. According to a CBP spokesperson, Said was detained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection while aboard a May 12 flight heading outside of the U.S. due to allegedly having an active arrest warrant. He was subsequently turned over to local law enforcement. The Times has reached out to Lord Buffalo for comment. The Texas band is not the first musical act to claim they have needed to postpone or cancel shows due to immigration issues in recent months. In April, British singer FKA twigs announced in an Instagram post that she had to cancel series of concerts for the month in North America — including a slot at Coachella 2025 — due to 'ongoing visa issues.' Earlier this month, Chicago's Michelada Fest, a Spanish-language music festival that had acts scheduled from across the globe, was canceled due to concerns over artists' visas. 'Due to the uncertainty surrounding artist visas and the rapidly changing political climate, we're no longer able to guarantee the full experience we had dreamed up for you with all your favorite artists,' the festival's organizers explained in a statement. 'Although we tried to push through, it became clear that we wouldn't be able to deliver the full lineup as planned.' The organizers would go on to write that, as an independent outfit, Michelada Fest 'can't afford to take on a big risk with so much uncertainty ahead.' Grupo Firme, Anitta, Danny Ocean, Tokischa and Luis R. Conriquez were scheduled to perform at the July festival.
