Latest news with #YuJinLee
News.com.au
31-07-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
Anger at buying limit as cult US chain opens its doors in Sydney
Just days after people lined up at 4am for the opening of a cult US chain in Australia, customers have been slapped with a buying limit, as the restaurant struggles to keep up with demand. Auntie Anne's, the world's largest hand-rolled soft pretzel franchise, made its debut Down Under with the opening of its first store at Westfield Parramatta on Saturday. But while some Australians lined up more than five hours before its doors opened to get their hands on the doughy treat, the store has been riddled with complications. During its first few days of trading, demand for the iconic Auntie Anne's pretzels has been so overwhelming, customers can now only buy 3 at a time. Meanwhile some of those who have been lucky enough to get their chops around the bread-like product have complained that it was 'burnt' and 'didn't taste great'. Yu-Jin Lee, who along with his business partner Johann Wong has worked with Auntie Anne's to bring the chain to Australia, told the store had been inundated with customers and as such has had to take measures to make sure no one is disappointed. 'Each of our pretzels is carefully hand-rolled and baked in small batches by our new kitchen team, who are doing their best to deliver a great experience,' he said. 'As with any handmade process, small variations can occur and with such high demand, every day offers valuable opportunities for our team to grow and finetune their skills. 'To help more people get a taste, we've temporarily set a limit of three pretzels per customer.' He also apologised to anyone who purchased a pretzel that felt it 'didn't meet expectations' and urged them to 'reach out to us directly'. 'We truly appreciate feedback and would love the opportunity to make it right,' he said. 'We're incredibly grateful for the enthusiastic welcome we've received since opening Auntie Anne's in Sydney and send a heartfelt thank you to everyone who's lined up patiently to enjoy our freshly baked pretzels during this exciting launch week.' Social media has exploded with videos on the cult chain's recent Sydney opening, though mostly positive, there were some who pointed out there appeared to be 'teething problems' in Parramatta. 'They opened late, there were certain items on the menu that are 'not available' at the moment which was really disappointing. The pretzels were OK, the sticks were the best out of all of them, I'd give them a 5 out of 10 at the moment until they sort some things out,' one disgruntled customer shared on TikTok. 'Have waited 90 minutes in line to find out there's no pretzel bites, despite the fact it's on the menu and on the shop front, they just weren't selling them today,' whinged another. While another claimed she waited 2 hours only to be sold 'burnt' pretzels. Auntie Anne's has since responded to the video, stating 'we're still in our early days, but that's no excuse. If you're open to giving us another chance, we'd love to twist your day with some fresh pretzels on us'. Popular Melbourne food bloggers @nectoriouspapi and @DubEatsEverything defended the chain's new venture, calling for Aussies to 'cut them some slack'. 'It's hard when you first open and have massive lines, what are you meant to do?' DubEatsEverything told 'They only have a very small oven … and at $5 for a pretzel, it's pretty reasonably priced.' Nectorious Papi agreed, stating: 'People need to cut them some slack as the demand is higher than they predicted. It's expected when something new that has never been in Australia before opens.' Mostly though, people were delighted with their pretzels, which cost between $5.80 and $6.50 dependent on which flavour purchased. Lines filled Westfield Parramatta's top floor on Saturday as hungry Aussies waited hours in order to get their hands on Original, Cinnamon, Sweet Almond and Pepperoni flavoured pretzels. One social media user even claimed that the queue wrapped all the way around to the train station outside. Despite the overwhelming demand, more than 1000 pretzels were sold on opening day, and the new bakery has continued to draw large crowds since.
News.com.au
27-07-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
People line up from 4am for huge US food chain opening in Sydney
People were lining up since 4am in order to get their hands on an item from a cult US chain that has finally come to Sydney. Auntie Anne's, the world's largest hand-rolled soft pretzel franchise, made its debut Down Under with the opening of its first store at Westfield Parramatta on Saturday. Some Australians lined up from 4am — more than five hours before the store opened its doors — in order to get their hands on the pretzels. Lines filled the shopping centre's top floor as people waited hours in order to get their hands on Original, Cinnamon, Sweet Almond and Pepperoni flavoured pretzels. One social media user claimed that the line wrapped all the way around to the train station outside. Yu-Jin Lee, who along with his business partner Johann Wong, has worked with Auntie Anne's to bring it to Australia, told 'We are amazed at the turnout that's for sure. We had one customer who lined up from 4am and waited until 9.30am when we officially opened the store. 'We anticipated a good response, but the excitement people have shown for Auntie Anne's has certainly exceeded all our expectations! 'Our crew have been working around the clock baking up a storm and I think we will see the line up continue for quite some time.' More than 1000 pretzels were sold on opening day. Mr Lee said bringing Auntie Anne's to Australia has been a dream years in the making, saying one of his fondest childhood memories is going to the mall to grab an Auntie Anne's pretzel. 'Think Baker's Delight. It's still the pretzel flavour but as soft as a Baker's Delight roll,' he said. 'It's because you order it and you get it fresh, rather than it sitting there from the morning.' He also rated the cinnamon sticks and the almond sticks with cream cheese, saying the latter was probably his favourite. 'You also can't go wrong with the hot dog bites. There's too much to choose from,' he said. The popular chain, which sells an array of sweet and savoury pretzels, first opened its doors in Pennsylvania back in 1988 and now has more than 2000 locations around the world – with five new ones planned across Australia in the next 12 months. Aussie customers can expect the full Auntie Anne's experience, Mr Lee said, including signature pretzel varieties such as original, cinnamon sugar, sweet almond, and pepperoni cheese, along with sweet and savoury nugget bites with the dough mixed, hand-rolled and baked on site. It's just the latest American chain to open in Australia in recent months with Wendy's, Wingstop and In-N-Out either having pop-ups or opening its doors permanently. But as Auntie Anne's joins a long line of American fast-food restaurants opening in Australia, are Aussies going to become sick of the once hard-to-get food? Melbourne-based food blogger Nectro. 'It's really exciting to see US chains opening in Australia,' he told ahead of the store's opening. 'Many of us have heard the hype, or if they're lucky tried the items on holiday, but to be able to eat these well-known brand's on our own doorstep means it's now available to everyone. 'These brands are often names we've grown up watching in the movies, so it's a thrill to have the option to buy something we've never tried. The big test is really whether or not they stand the test of time.'
News.com.au
15-07-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
Another cult-US restaurant chain announces it's opening in Australia
There was once a time when Aussies would have to travel at least 10 hours to eat their favourite American food – but not anymore. In the past few years, a string of classic US food chains have popped up on our shores, including Wingstop, Five Guys and Wendys. Now Auntie Anne's, the world's largest hand-rolled soft pretzel franchise, is making its debut Down Under with the opening of its first store Westfield Parramatta on July 26. 'This has been a dream in the making for years,' Yu-Jin Lee, who along with his business partner Johann Wong has worked with Auntie Anne's to bring it to Australia, told 'We have always loved pretzels and one of our fondest childhood memories is going to the mall to grab an Auntie Anne's pretzel. 'It's a cherished experience for us and we hope to recreate and share that joy in Australia now too.' The popular chain, which sells an array of sweet and savory pretzels, first opened its doors in Pennsylvania back in 1988 and now has more than 2000 locations around the world – with five new ones planned across Australia in the next 12 months. Aussie customers can expect the full Auntie Anne's experience, Yu-Jin Lee said, including signature pretzel varieties such as original, cinnamon sugar, sweet almond, and pepperoni cheese, along with sweet and savoury nugget bites with the dough mixed, hand-rolled and baked on site. 'Our pretzels are baked continuously throughout the day, so no matter when you stop by, you're getting them hot, fresh, and at their absolute best. 'There's a huge appetite for the brand already – we've seen the buzz online and the excitement is real.' Indeed, several eagle-eyed pretzel fans have spotted the new Sydney store before it has even opened, taking to social media to share their joy. 'OMG, I manifested this,' one wrote. 'Legitimately have been waiting years for this, let's go,' another shared. As one declared: 'If they open in Melbourne I'll go broke, no joke.' But as Auntie Anne's joins a long line of American fast-food restaurants opening in Australia, are Aussies going to become sick of the once hard-to-get food? Melbourne food blogger @nectoriouspapi doesn't think so. 'It's really exciting to see US chains opening in Australia,' he told 'Many of us have heard the hype, or if they're lucky tried the items on holiday, but to be able to eat these well-known brand's on our own doorstep means it's now available to everyone. 'These brand's are often names we've grown up watching in the movies, so it's a thrill to have the option to buy something we've never tried. The big test is really whether or not they stand the test of time.' The foodie, who hasn't yet tried any Auntie Anne's menu items, said his biggest gripe with the cult US chains opening in Australia is that 'Sydney always gets it first'. This was a sentiment echoed on social media, where many Aussies called for a store in their local area. 'Can we get some of these places in Melbourne?' one sighed, as another added: 'This was my fave in America, but I don't live anywhere near Sydney. Boo.'
