SALT LAKE CITY--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 10, 2000--Mrs. Fields' Original Cookies Inc. (Mrs. Fields), the nation's leading retailer and franchisor of "baked on premises" bakery products, Thursday announced that an affiliate of the major shareholder of the parent company of Mrs. Fields has entered into a definitive merger agreement to acquire 100 percent of the common stock of TCBY Enterprises Inc., based in Little Rock, Ark.

The TCBY system includes approximately 3,000 locations, which will continue to operate under the TCBY name, and its products are a strong complement to Mrs. Fields' high quality snack food brands.

"We are very excited to have the opportunity to add TCBY products to our store base and to offer our products to their franchisees," said Larry Hodges, president & chief executive officer of Mrs. Fields' Original Cookies Inc. "The TCBY brand is a great strategic fit with our cookie and pretzel businesses and brings extraordinary opportunities to the franchisees in each company.

Mrs. Fields' Original Cookie Co. currently owns or franchises 532 Mrs. Fields Cookie Stores, 309 Great American Cookie Stores, 100 Original Cookie Stores, 232 Pretzel Time Stores, 213 Pretzelmaker Stores, and 54 Hot Sam Pretzel Stores. In addition, Mrs. Fields and TCBY each are enjoying successful international growth.

For additional information, please contact Larry Hodges at 801/736-5701. Mrs. Fields' Original Cookies Inc. is headquartered at 2855 East Cottonwood Parkway, Suite 400, Salt Lake City, Utah.

CONTACT:

Mrs. Fields' Original Cookies Inc., Salt Lake City

Larry Hodges, 801/736-5701

Fax: 801/736-5945