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Wetzel’s Pretzels aims to snag snackers at Navy Medical Center

The quick-service brand is looking to expand into hospitals, colleges and other noncommercial venues. The quick-service brand is looking to expand into hospitals, colleges and other nontraditional venues.

Patricia Cobe, Senior Editor

May 12, 2021

1 Min Read
guys eating wetzels
Photo courtesy of Wetzel's Pretzels

San Diego’s Navy Medical Center is the newest home for a Wetzel’s Pretzels unit.

Unlike other Wetzel’s Pretzels locations, this one is not open to the general public. Instead, it is part of the brand’s move to expand into nontraditional locations and flexible store formats—a plan that other quick-service chains, including Jersey Mike’s and Modern Market, have recently initiated.

While most nontraditional locations focus on fast breakfast and lunch solutions, Wetzel’s is primarily a grab-and-go snack concept. According to Technomic’s most recent Snacking Occasion Consumer Trend Report, 41% of consumers snack at work and portability is driving snack purchases for 51% of people.

Employees and visitors at Navy Medical Center will be able to satisfy their snack cravings with portable soft pretzels in several formats and in flavors such as salt, sour cream and onion, cheese and almond crunch. Hungrier customers can opt for a pretzel-wrapped hot dog.

This newest Wetzel’s location will conduct daily wellness checks as well as sanitation sweeps every hour and evening to keep the bakery disinfected.

About the Author

Patricia Cobe

Senior Editor

Pat plans and executes the menu sections of Restaurant Business and FoodService Director, covering food and beverage trends, Menu R&D, profiles of chefs and restaurateurs and Technomic research. She also contributes to the digital content of both RB and FSD and is editor of two weekly e-newsletters, Recipe Report and On the Menu. Pat’s weekly podcast, MenuFeed, covers a wide range of menu topics through interviews with chefs and operators.

Pat came to Winsight from Hearst, where she was an executive editor. She is the co-author of the Mompreneurs series of books as well as two cookbooks. She graduated from Cornell University and earned a Masters in Journalism from Boston University. She is active in several professional organizations, including Les Dames d’Escoffier and the International Foodservice Editorial Council (IFEC), and serves as a judge for the James Beard Media Awards.

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