Pretzelmaker business in Springfield to close next month

Pretzelmaker in downtown Springfield. BILL LACKEY/STAFF

Credit: Bill Lackey

Credit: Bill Lackey

Pretzelmaker in downtown Springfield. BILL LACKEY/STAFF

A Springfield pretzel shop which opened a downtown location last year will close next month due to financial struggles.

Pretzelmaker, located at 30 N. Fountain Ave., will close on Oct. 6, and its employees hope it goes out “with a bang,” manager Mandi Caudill said. The shop moved from the Upper Valley Mall, where it was for at least a decade, to downtown in June 2022.

“That’s why I liked the downtown because it’s like a little family down here, and it’s just unfortunate that there wasn’t enough business for [the owner] to keep going,” Caudill said. “It’s a great atmosphere downtown and the customers are great, our neighbors down here are great; we take care of each other. So it’s a sad thing to see for everyone involved.”

Pretzelmaker, a franchise specializing in fresh-baked, handcrafted pretzels since 1991, has 280 locations in the U.S. and worldwide, according to its website.

The pretzel shop features traditional pretzels, pretzel bites, pepperoni bites, pretzel dogs and more. The shop has a variety of flavorings that can be added to pretzels, including parmesan, garlic and cinnamon sugar. The shop also has an array of dips that includes pizza sauce, mustard, nacho cheese, cheddar cheese, cream cheese and caramel.

The store will be open from 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday- Saturday until Oct. 6.

On a Facebook post announcing the closure, several customers expressed their disappointment.

One person commented that every employee “was very very sweet and happy to be there.” Several others said they would patronize the store before it closes.

Caudill said when the store was previously in jeopardy of closure and an employee made a post asking for community support, Pretzelmaker “had a good few weeks” before business died down again.

She said the mall location was great for the store with numerous events that helped it keep serving pretzels. At the downtown location, Caudill said the owner is losing money each month.

It is unlikely the store will reopen at another location because the owner “paid all this money” to renovate the current building, Caudill said.

The shop has several regular customers which is “what’s heartbreaking,” Caudill said. She said she wants customers to know she and the employees have appreciated them.

“We will definitely miss them,” Caudill said.

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