New Franchisee Discusses Planet Smoothie Co-Brand With Auntie Anne’s

Joe Mazzarella brings Planet Smoothie franchise to Wilkes-Barre; co-brand catching on with multi-unit franchisees

The success of the Planet Smoothie franchise has attracted the attention of entrepreneurs who own other franchise concepts. Over the past few years, several people have asked to co-brand Planet Smoothie with other businesses. Among the co-brand franchise pioneers for Planet Smoothie has been a group of Auntie Anne’s owners who saw an opportunity to capture even more customers at locations where they had built a successful pretzel empire.

Joe and Tiziana Mazzarella are two of the latest Auntie Anne’s owners to take the co-branding plunge by adding Planet Smoothie to their offerings. The Times-Tribune of Northeastern Pennsylvania wrote about the Mazzarellas’ new location in Wilkes-Barre Township in Spring 2014.

Some excerpts from the article:

Planet Smoothie will be added to Auntie Anne’s Pretzels inside Walmart in Wilkes-Barre Twp. next week, said Joe Mazzarella, who owns four Auntie Anne’s Pretzels locations in the region with his wife, Tiziana.

A Planet Smoothie opened at another Auntie Anne’s location they own at the Wyoming Valley Mall in November.

“I think it’s a great complementary product,” Mr. Mazzarella said. “Folks can walk away with a smoothie in one hand and a pretzel in the other.”

The combining of the two brands in one location is part of a practice called “co-branding” that has become more common in franchising over the last few years, said Alisa Harrison, spokeswoman for the International Franchise Association based in Washington D.C.

Some of the biggest advantages of co-branding, she said, are that it consolidates operational costs and combines complementary brands in a single location.

“It streamlines the process,” Ms. Harrison said. “It is more convenient for a consumer, especially if it is two well-liked brands in a good location. It makes it easier for consumers to get there and buy their favorite products. In a family situation, there could be something for everyone.”

Learn more about Planet Smoothie franchise opportunities here!

One of the things that makes Planet Smoothie a great business — on top of its performance, its reputation and its great products — is the fact that it has an extremely flexible business model. While most Planet Smoothie franchises operate as standalone businesses in traditional retail locations, Planet Smoothie also offers nontraditional kiosks in areas like malls and airports, as well as co-branded concepts that can work well to bring additional customers. To learn more, fill out the form below to download our free franchise report and start a conversation!