Operations
Twisted: How Pretzelmaker's partnership with Great Wolf Lodge increases sales, brand awareness
Pretzelmaker has several non-traditional units in Great Wolf Lodge retreats, appealing to the young and old alike. The brand's partnership is designed to increase ticket averages and brand awareness.
March 14, 2025 by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Networld Media Group
In a move designed to increase brand awareness and increase sales, snack brand Pretzelmaker has launched units in select Great Wolf Lodge water park centers. Initial discussions began in 2022.
The Pretzelmaker team doubled down on its commitment to non-traditional growth venues that same year, and Allison Lauenstein, president of the brand, said Fat Brands formed a team to exclusively focus on pursing those opportunities led by Ammy Harrison, who brings experience from Penn Station East Coast Subs and Papa Johns. Pretzelmaker is owned by FAT Brands, which has several concepts in non-traditional venues, and has more than 185 locations.
The Great Wolf Lodge partnership "provides us with the opportunity to expose our brands to guests and families that frequent the resort. In comparison to a more traditional unit, these locations allow us to increase our brand awareness, visibility and overall foot traffic," Lauenstein said.
In an email Q&A with Lauenstein, QSRweb.com got a greater look at Pretzelmaker's collaboration with Great Wolf Lodge and learned how the duo is making pretzel magic.
Q: What strategic advantages does partnering with Great Wolf Lodge offer Pretzelmaker in terms of brand visibility, market reach and customer acquisition?
Lauenstein:While Pretzelmaker has a strong brand following, the partnership with Great Wolf Lodge amplifies this even further. Families are the core customers of both Pretzelmaker and Great Wolf Lodge so naturally when a family goes to Great Wolf Lodge and visits us for the first time, this opens the door to new brand fans. Additionally, Great Wolf Lodge is a high traffic destination, which helps in generating additional market reach.
Q: Great Wolf Lodge attracts families with children. How does this partnership align with Pretzelmaker's target demographic, and what specific pretzel products or marketing strategies will be employed to appeal to this audience?
Lauenstein: The Pretzelmaker brand is built around providing joy which aligns perfectly with a top family destination such as Great Wolf Lodge whose mission is to bring joy to families. Our menu offerings, in particular, our freshly baked Pretzel Bites, provide families visiting the resort with ideal grab-and-go snacks, in addition to our all-day menu items. These items differ from our usual brick-and-mortar store offerings and include breakfast sandwiches on pretzel rolls, specialty coffees and more.
Q: Indoor water parks present unique operational challenges, such as humidity and high foot traffic. How has Pretzelmaker adapted its store design, equipment and supply chain to ensure efficient operations and maintain product quality within Great Wolf Lodge locations?
Lauenstein: The Pretzelmaker storefront is located on the resort side of Great Wolf Lodge between the Adventure Park and the Lobby, so humidity is not a factor. Operationally, our location is designed to effectively handle high foot traffic with our grab-and-go offerings.
Q: Beyond increased sales, what are the long-term goals of this partnership?
Lauenstein: We see this as a fruitful partnership in the years to come. Pretzelmaker and its sister brands, Fatburger and Hot Dog on a Stick, which have a presence at other Great Wolf Lodge locations as well, are all nostalgic in nature and offer craveable menu items that align with Great Wolf Lodge's family-friendly brand. Additionally, the brands have flexible store formats which provide Great Wolf Lodge with more opportunities to incorporate the concepts into its existing food court areas and generate additional revenue.
Q: What other non-traditional venues is Pretzelmaker looking into?
Lauenstein: Pretzelmaker is exploring non-traditional venues such as airports, travel plazas, c-stores, military bases, colleges and universities, casinos, stadiums, amusement parks, and other entertainment venues. The flexibility of the store format provides a significant number of non-traditional opportunities for the brand.
Q: How does this collaboration serve as a potential model for future expansion?
Lauenstein: This was one of Pretzelmaker's first significant non-traditional partnerships so this will help pave the way for future opportunities.
Q: How will the Pretzelmaker experience be integrated into the overall Great Wolf Lodge guest experience?
Lauenstein: We are a great complement to Great Wolf Lodge's existing dining options. We are focused on providing varied and high-quality food and beverage options that we know families love!
Q: Will there be any co-branded promotions, bundled packages or special menu items exclusive to Great Wolf Lodge locations?
Lauenstein: In collaboration with Great Wolf Lodge, we have created several specialty menu items that are currently exclusive to our Great Wolf Lodge locations. In some of our non-traditional college locations, we found success in offering a breakfast sandwich option that utilized our pretzel dough. We recognized that this concept could seamlessly transition to a lunch and dinner format, prompting us to work with the Great Wolf Lodge team to create sandwiches that satisfy customer preferences, increase tickets and grow purchase occasions.
Q: How does Pretzelmaker anticipate this collaboration impacting revenue growth and profitability?
Lauenstein: We have seen great success with this partnership since we officially debuted at a Great Wolf Lodge last year. Some of our top performing stores are our Great Wolf Lodge locations. We look forward to building off this momentum with Great Wolf Lodge in the years to come.
Q: Were there other potential partners considered, and what made Great Wolf Lodge the ideal choice for Pretzelmaker's expansion strategy?
Lauenstein: Pretzelmaker's expansion strategy in non-traditional spaces naturally aligns well with Great Wolf Lodge and we hope as they continue to refresh existing sites and expand their paw print, we will have opportunities to continue growing our partnership.
Q: Looking ahead, what is the vision for the future of this partnership? Are there plans to expand the number of Pretzelmaker locations within Great Wolf Lodge resorts, or explore other collaborative opportunities?
Lauenstein: Perryville, Maryland, marks our third Pretzelmaker location at a Great Wolf Lodge. We have two additional locations in Grand Mound, Washington and Grapevine, Texas. Looking ahead, we are set to open at two additional Great Wolf Lodge locations this year – one in Manteca, California and another in Mashantucket, Connecticut. As mentioned, the Great Wolf Lodge partnership extends beyond Pretzelmaker. Our tri-branded model of Fatburger, Buffalo's Express and Hot Dog on a Stick has found success at their resorts as well.
Q: What recommendations would you give to a brand looking to venture out into non-traditional locations?
Lauenstein:You need to be flexible, take into account the needs of the customers and the brands you are partnering with, align on values and have a dedicated non-traditional team who understands the nuances of these types of venues.
About Mandy Wolf Detwiler
Mandy Wolf Detwiler is the managing editor at Networld Media Group and the site editor for PizzaMarketplace.com and QSRweb.com. She has more than 20 years’ experience covering food, people and places.
An award-winning print journalist, Mandy brings more than 20 years’ experience to Networld Media Group. She has spent nearly two decades covering the pizza industry, from independent pizzerias to multi-unit chains and every size business in between. Mandy has been featured on the Food Network and has won numerous awards for her coverage of the restaurant industry. She has an insatiable appetite for learning, and can tell you where to find the best slices in the country after spending 15 years traveling and eating pizza for a living.
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