Wetzel’s Pretzels is attempting to shape-shift with its new concept.
It’s called Wetzel’s Twisted, and it’s a little different from the chain’s usual locations, which are often in food courts of shopping centers.
“We really embrace the word ‘twisted,’” said chief marketing officer Kim Freer for the Pasadena-based chain. “We use that word for inspiration.”
It has its own menu that builds on the strengths of the core brand, she said in a phone interview.
“We were always known for being fun and fresh and fast. And it still starts from the core of making our own dough from scratch. We still offer at the Twisted locations core products, but we’ve thought even more imaginatively about what those items are, adding on additional forms and flavors and twisting that dough literally in different ways.”
There are two Twisted locations. The first opened in La Habra, followed last month by a store in Surprise, Ariz., a suburb of Phoenix.
Wetzel’s is selling franchises throughout California, Freer said.
The Twisted menu builds on Wetzel’s core items of hot dogs, pretzels and lemonade. It has such items as the Baja Boardwalk, a loaded hot dog in a pretzel bun topped with Cilantro Baja sauce, jalapeños, slaw, green onion and Tajin seasoning; pretzels with toppings and sauces such as Nashville Heat and Maple Bacon; slushies with lemonade and other flavors; and soft-serve floats such as Orange Creamsicle.
There are also loaded takes on Wetzel’s Bitz, which are bite-sized pieces of pretzel dough. Flavors include Bacon Ranch, Baja Elote and S’mores.
Freer described the stores as whimsical, interesting spaces where customers could watch their orders go through a make line and then sit and eat.
“Here we’re actually getting the four walls,” said Freer.
Twisted by Wetzel
Where: 1331 W Imperial Highway, Suite A, La Habra.
Information: twistedbywetzels.com
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