Dive Brief:
- Pretzelmaker opened its first drive-thru location in Mason City, Iowa, with its Fresh Twist brand, parent company Fat Brands announced Tuesday.
- The location, which is operated by franchisee Mark Frandle, includes a pickup window.
- Fat Brands opened 142 stores in 2022, a single-year record for the company. But Pretzelmaker’s footprint shrank from 193 units at the start of 2019 to 161 at the start of 2021, according to Pretzelmaker’s most recent franchise disclosure document.
Dive Insight:
Pretzelmaker originally launched the Fresh Twist in 2018 to fulfill demand for breakfast and late-night options and increase the portability of the menu for expansion into travel centers, universities and airports. Fresh Twist menu items, which are available all day, include Pretzel Bites, breakfast sandwiches on pretzel rolls, Pretzel Flatbread Pizzas and specialty coffee drinks. Pretzelmaker opened its first Fresh Twist by Pretzelmaker in Troy University in Alabama three years ago.
“Our Fresh Twist model was designed to cater to smaller footprints and on-the-go customers, so we see this opening as a perfect jump-start to fuel additional drive-thru growth in the years to come,” said Jenn Johnston, president of Fat Brands’ Quick-Service Division.
With over a dozen brands in its portfolio, Fat Brands has also been exploring new co-branding opportunities. Outgoing CEO Andy Wiederhorn previously told Restaurant Dive that Hot Dog on a Stick, which sells mostly hot dogs and lemonade, could be co-branded easily with Pretzelmaker. The company already co-brands Fatburger and Buffalo’s Express, as well as Marble Slab Creamery.
Other pretzel brands, like Auntie Anne’s, have been expanding via drive-thru locations, including co-branded units. Auntie Anne’s opened its first drive-thru in Texas with sister brand Jamba in 2021. That company expects to have 15 total co-branded drive-thrus by this spring.
