FOCUS Brands, Inc., franchisor and operator of over 6,000 bakeries, restaurants, cafés, and ice cream shops, announced a milestone in the company's international growth with the opening of its 1,500^th international store last month, an Auntie Anne's in Liverpool, United Kingdom. This opening continues FOCUS Brands' strategic expansion into international markets with now over 1,500 international locations of its restaurant properties, including Cinnabon, Auntie Anne's, Carvel, Jamba Juice, Schlotzsky's, Moe's Southwest Grill, and Seattle's Best Coffee in certain international markets.

"We are thrilled that our new Auntie Anne's opened in Liverpool One Shopping Centre. It's the largest outdoor shopping mall in the United Kingdom, and the perfect place to enjoy everyone's favorite soft pretzel brand," said Robert Burton, Auntie Anne's Licensee. "Since we opened with our sub-franchisee Pretzel Perfect Ltd in August, we have seen strong initial sales and heard great customer feedback. We look forward to continuing our development journey with our sub-franchise partners in the United Kingdom and Ireland."

"We are really excited to celebrate the opening of our 1,500^th international location, an important milestone as we continue to expand our global presence," said Kagan Sanli, VP, Managing Director – EUMEA at FOCUS Brands International. "The unique and delicious product range of our well-known brands and strong partnership with our exceptional franchise network have been key to our rapid international growth and success. We are delighted to see Auntie Anne`s being very well received in the United Kingdom, and we look forward to bringing our other popular brands, such as Cinnabon, to this market."

Auntie Anne's first international location opened in Indonesia in 1995 and its largest international presence is in South Korea. Cinnabon's first international store opened in 1988 in Canada and looks forward to building its presence in the United Kingdom.

FOCUS Brands currently enjoys an international presence in more than 55 countries and regions, including locations in the Caribbean, Central & South America, Middle East & South Africa, Asia-Pacific, and Europe.

The company has already opened more than 100 new international locations this year.