Auntie Anne’s targets 100 UK and Ireland stores by 2030

Auntie Anne’s is targeting 100 stores across the UK and Ireland by 2030, according to a report published by Franchise Digit on 21 September 2026. For Ireland’s franchise community, the headline signals a substantial growth ambition across the combined market, although the available report does not set out an Irish expansion allocation.

A target to double the store network

The report places Auntie Anne’s at 50 stores across the UK and Ireland following an opening at The Beacon shopping centre in Eastbourne. Against that starting point, a target of 100 stores would mean doubling the network by 2030.

That distinction matters: 100 is the intended total, not the number of additional stores announced. The difference between the reported current estate and the target is 50 locations. It is also a target rather than confirmation that those additional locations have been secured or are under construction.

The Eastbourne opening provides the immediate context for the growth announcement. However, the longer-term ambition is the more relevant point for prospective franchise partners assessing the brand’s direction. It gives a stated destination for the combined network without, in the available material, providing a detailed route to achieving it.

What the announcement means for Ireland

Ireland is explicitly included in the geographic scope of the 100-store target. That makes the announcement relevant to readers here, but it does not establish that any particular share of the proposed growth will take place in Ireland.

The supplied report does not identify new Irish towns, shopping centres or individual sites. Nor does it provide a separate figure for the existing Irish estate or a timetable for further Irish openings. The confirmed location associated with the announcement is Eastbourne, rather than an Irish address.

For that reason, the news should not be read as an announcement of 50 new Irish stores, or even as confirmation of a specific number of Irish openings. The supported conclusion is narrower: Auntie Anne’s has outlined a growth target for a network that spans both the UK and Ireland.

For Ireland’s franchise community, that is a useful signal to monitor. It is not yet a local development schedule on which a prospective operator, landlord or supplier could base a commitment.

The details prospective partners should seek

A headline network target is a starting point for an enquiry, not a substitute for information about an individual opportunity. Anyone considering involvement should first establish whether the brand is currently seeking partners or premises in Ireland, and which locations, if any, are available.

The available report does not specify how future openings would be divided between franchised and company-operated stores. Prospective partners should therefore avoid assuming that every additional location implied by the target represents a franchise opportunity.

Useful questions would include the proposed ownership model, territory availability, site requirements, investment costs and the support offered to an operator. These are due-diligence questions prompted by the announcement, rather than terms disclosed in the research.

Timing deserves the same care. A 2030 ambition does not reveal when individual opportunities might become available. Before commissioning site work or entering premises negotiations, an interested party should seek current, location-specific information directly from the brand.

A growth ambition to watch

The next meaningful development for Irish readers would be more detail about Ireland’s place in the plan. Named locations, an Irish opening timetable or a clearly stated franchise recruitment programme would help turn a combined-market ambition into a more concrete local story.

Until then, the distinction between ambition and delivery should remain central. The report supports the 100-store target and the 50-store starting point; it does not support forecasts for Irish jobs, investment or the number of new Irish franchise partners.

Practical takeaway: Treat Auntie Anne’s 2030 target as a reason to investigate, not as confirmation of an available Irish franchise. Establish territory availability, operating terms and opening plans before making financial or property commitments.