LANCASTER, Pa., Nov. 26, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Auntie Anne's Pretzels, the iconic brand made famous by its fresh, hand-rolled treats, will be featured in the premiere season of A&E's new original real-life series "Be the Boss," a competition-based show that pits two employees of a franchised company against each other in the battle of a lifetime – vying for the chance to become the owner of their very own franchise. Auntie Anne's "Be the Boss" episode airs Sunday, December 16, at 10 p.m. EST.
From the Emmy-award winning creators of "Undercover Boss," "Be the Boss" faces off two lower-level employees for the chance at what they believe is a corporate promotion. In each episode, the CEO summons two deserving candidates to the company headquarters and subsequently puts them through a series of challenges to see if they have what it takes to be a senior manager. In a "twist" of fate, the candidates ultimately learn that it's the runner-up who gets the corporate promotion while the true winner takes home the keys to their own franchise.
Showcased in Auntie Anne's episode is Eleazar Puente, manager of Auntie Anne's at Woodburn Company Stores in Woodburn, Ore. and Shonta Moore, assistant manager of Auntie Anne's at Boynton Beach Mall in Boynton Beach, Fla. In the episode, Puente and Moore undergo a series of grueling challenges – including opening an Auntie Anne's store during restocking day, hiring a team and working on a new, innovative pretzel creation that was fresh, hot and had the brand's signature gourmet taste and selling their new pretzel to hungry customers.
"It was no easy task choosing a winner because Eleazar and Shonta are both experienced employees who are hard-working and have great leadership skills," said Bill Dunn, President and COO of Auntie Anne's. "It was a great experience putting the show together with A&E. Most importantly, we're honored to award both of these deserving employees with a piece of the American Dream."
Other iconic American companies featured in the first season of "Be the Boss" include Complete Nutrition, Molly Maid, Signal 88 Security, The Melting Pot and Jazzercise.
For more information about Auntie Anne's, please visit www.auntieannes.com. For more information on A&E Networks, please visit www.aetv.com.
About Auntie Anne's
Auntie Anne's, which started at a farmer's market stand in 1988, is now the world's largest hand-rolled soft pretzel chain with more than 1,250 locations in 25 countries. Anne and Jonas Beiler purchased the stand to provide the income needed for their vision of providing free counseling services to families and couples in their community. Building on their founder's vision to give back, Auntie Anne's is committed to serving others and offers educational scholarship and home down payment gift programs for crewmembers, store managers, franchise partners, and corporate associates. It is also a national fundraising partner of Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation and has been able to fund three years of pediatric cancer research within its first year of efforts. For more information about Auntie Anne's, visit www.auntieannes.com, www.facebook.com/AuntieAnnesPretzels, or www.twitter.com/AuntieAnnes.