THE Pretzel Maker, one of the favorite snacks in the United States, has officially opened its doors to customers in Pampanga and Central Luzon, with its newest branch located at SM City Clark.
This is the renowned brand’s third store in the Philippines, next to the ones in Festival Mall and SM South Mall, marking its first expansion in Asia, said Carlos Miguel Eleazar Ochoa, the country manager of VAVEL Food Inc., the Pretzel Maker master franchisee in the country.
VAVEL stands for Victor and Victoria Eleazar Legacy, its family owned corporation which manages business ventures and investments for the Eleazar family.
Ochoa shared that Pretzel Maker offers wide array of snacks freshly served for customers. He noted that the company originated from Atlanta, Georgia and now has 350 franchise across the United States and 70 branches worldwide, including Canada, Dubai, and Guam.
“We’re honored to bring in Pretzel Maker in the Philippines and first in Asia, through the opening of our branches in the country and finally here in Pampanga," Ochoa said during Saturday's grand opening.
He relayed that their signature pretzels are made from fresh ingredients. “And while it comes in different sizes, each variant stays soft and tastes good the whole day, compared to other stores selling the same products,” he added.
He then furthered that Pretzel Maker’s decision to locate at SM City Clark was driven by their desire to serve more customers and for the reason that the mall caters to all type of people. "That's the main reason why we chose SM for our store in Pampanga."
Moreover, the executive highlighted that they are excited to offer Pretzel Maker's best sellers in the new branch. He recommends that customers try out their special pretzels with almonds, green cheese, mini dogs, and pretzel dogs especially made for the Filipino market.
Prices start at P80, while combo meal is around P125 to P150, which comes with a drink and dip.
Ochoa then disclosed that customers can look forward to more Pretzel Maker branches in the future.
“We are also planning to open other branches in Makati City such as in Ayala Mall and other malls including the Vista malls," he said.
He furthered that by next year, they are also set to open three to four stores at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia), Boracay, and SM Mall of Asia and Baguio.
"We are slowly trying to expand outside of Metro Manila but not too fast because we have to make sure that we have a very good support system and management group before we can venture out. So far, SM City Clark is the farthest store from our home base," Ochoa concluded. (Chris Navarro with Erika Mariel Gines)