The Origin Story Of Auntie Anne’s

Auntie Anne’s Pretzels is famous for their delicious pretzels (which are honestly my favorite snack). But did you know that the founder of the store initially bought a pretzel store to fund her and her husband’s counseling center for women? The origin story of Auntie Anne’s isn’t as bright as you’d expect, as Cracked details:

She was well on the path to traditional Amish wife-and-motherhood until one of her young daughters was killed in a tractor accident, which -- if any comfort can be found in such a situation -- is at least an extremely Amish way to go.

Because people in some religious communities don't so much as change their underwear without consulting their church leader, Beiler sought help with her grief from her pastor ... who proceeded to rape her and manipulate her into a six-year coercive sexual relationship. When Beiler finally broke her silence, she blew the lid off a jar of theological deceit that was way more full than she ever guessed. It turned out the pastor had been doing the same thing to basically every woman she knew, including all of her sisters.

That's actually why she bought her first pretzel shop in 1988. Her husband wanted to open a counseling center where women could seek free help that was guaranteed not to end in sexual torture, but the Amish are not known for their vast wealth, so she bought a local pretzel shop that happened to go on the market at a deep discount to fund the venture.