Okay.

I feel like it's a staple here in Michiana.

It is one of my favorite places to eat out.

It Ben’s soft pretzels.

They're so gooey, they're so moist, and they melt in your mouth.

And I have my new friend Rich here with me.

And you are the master of bean soft pretzels here because you are bringing this all across the nation.

Yeah, that's what we're trying.

We've been some pretzels going around since 2008, and since then, you know, we've gone from the few stores here in Michiana to over 180 locations nationwide.

It's amazing.

It is.

And it's exciting as it is.

So one of the things that we continue to try and do, something that we started here back from the beginning was a partnership with Tunnel to Towers to kind of bring awareness to what they do for our first responder and Gold Star families.

As far as building mortgage free homes, and so one of the things we try and do every year on National Pretzel Day is bring awareness to their organization and let people know how they can help.

And that's tremendous.

When is National Pretzel Day?

So National Pretzel Day is somewhere in a government building.

Somewhere.

They make all the official days and they put them on your calendar.

And apparently somebody had the foresight enough to think about National Pretzel Day.

And if you're Ben Soft Pretzels, why are you not all about National Pretzel Day?

I mean, I'm all about friends.

So are we pretzels for breakfast?

Absolutely.

So we take advantage of that by making sure that everybody knows it's National Pretzel Day.

And we have opportunities on National Pretzel, which is always April the 26th.

And that is always okay, always on April 26th.

So it falls on a Sunday this year.

But we have an opportunity for everybody to get a free pretzel or a national Pretzel Day.

And then they'll come to University Park Mall here in, Mishawaka on National Pretzel Day.

They can get a free pretzel and they find out how when they get here.

It's really exciting.

All right, that's really exciting.

I love that so much.

Now, this tunnel to towers, this is really important to you guys.

You've been partnering with them for quite some time now.

Why is that partnership important and where did that come from?

Well, our our owners, you know, Brian Kreider and Scott Jones, you know, are very patriotic Americans.

And when you're in business for yourself and you're, you know, trying to help other people become a franchise owner, that's it's it's it's a uniquely American thing.

And connecting something like Tunnel to Towers to help people who are on the front lines, kind of taking care of our communities and putting themselves on the line as well as, you know, military folks.

And it's kind of pertinent this year because we actually have servicemen and women in combat situations right now.

It's the 25th anniversary of Tunnel to Towers this year.

So we're we're we've always been connected really through all of that.

It's just we feel like it's a very worthy cause that we can kind of all get behind because it's really at the core, what our, our mission is about and our country is about is trying to like, help build a better thing for other people through enterprise and business.

Absolutely.

Yeah.

But let's talk about soft pretzels itself.

You guys started in 2008.

Where was the first store?

Because this all began right here in Michiana.

It sure did.

So in 2008.

Our, our owners, got together with their friend Ben Miller and took one of their family Amish recipes and created it into what we now know has Ben soft pretzels.

They had, some farmers market stores that they kind of test drove it with and kind of refined the product, trying to get it, figure out what it is.

Right.

And so once we were able to do that, they opened their first store in Concord Mall over in Elkhart back in the day.

And then from there, they've grown into a collection of small stores here in Michiana.

Yeah, that went so well for them that they decided to franchise nationally.

And now, like I said, we're at 180 locations nationwide and it's continuing to grow, which is just incredible.

And really that comes down to the product itself.

It's a delicious product.

It is so thick if you well, like, I mean, when you get a pretzel, you're not getting a pretzel stick.

You're getting a pretzel the size of your head.

Yeah.

And that's a big thing.

So we have a lot of competition nationally when you talk about the franchise.

Yeah.

So our pretzels we it's the largest serving size you're going to get anywhere there.

Much bigger than there isn't technically one serving size.

Don't tell me the answer to that.

If you decide you get to decide what the serving size is, that's up to you.

I'm not going to I'm not going to push that on you.

But one of the things that makes Bend's unique is, like I said, it's an Amish family recipe.

It's a genuine thing.

It's very authentic.

And so when you maybe people say soft pretzel, they might look at the brown thing they get at the ballpark, maybe, and it's kind of chewy and it's but Benson pretzels are different.

They're big, they're fluffy, they're light, and they're unlike any other kind of pretzel you're ever going to get.

And I'd love to that you guys have options that you can add.

I'm where I am garlic and parmesan to my yeah yeah yeah.

So you guys have opportunities to add some additions.

But I've also noted over the past couple of years you guys have expanded your menu.

Again.

Let's talk about that.

Yeah.

So the pretzel dough is this core component of our product.

I mean it's the thing that we've lovingly crafted into what makes Ben special.

So then we try to how can we take that same dough and make other products with it.

So we've expand that out to our pretzel dogs, pretzel pockets, which are really, just like ham and cheese or an Italian pocket with Italian meats and cheeses.

And it was just.

I'm down for that.

And then we have other, you know, simple pretzel products, like you said, your garlic parmesan.

What's our shake on seasons and flavors?

We also have a prizza, prizza a pizza which is pretzel pizza.

So you take that same pretzel dough, right?

But you love.

Right?

And you salt and butter that sucker up.

You also throw some pepperoni and some cheese and some jalapenos or whatever you want on that.

And they get it.

So it's like those kinds of products are kind of what changed the game for us to we're not just a snack, but it's like it's a it's a full meal if you really want I love it.

I love it.

So many options here.

Yeah.

And I love that you guys are right here.

We're in University Park Mall in Mishawaka right now in this guy.

This is really been a staple here for the mall too.

I mean, everybody comes here when you're hungry, when you're shopping, you're hungry or thirsty.

You're going to stop at a shopping snack.

I love that about that I love that.

Well, can we, like, throw some dough?

Are you sure you're ready for that?

So listen, it's not throwing dough.

It's twisting and rolling, twisting, throwing dough.

That's something else.

Maybe that happens, you know, when people get angry or something.

But twisting and rolling, that's what we're going to do.

I want to do it I do, I do I have like the kit at home.

Okay.

Cause you can buy the kit and take it home.

You can.

We have baking.

It's it's wonderful.

And I've never done it because I am just terrified that I'm going to fail.

Well, you might fail, but you still bake it and eat it.

Yeah.

Just bake the glove.

Yeah.

It's good.

Sure.

Let's go.

All right.

Let's do it.

Okay.

Jeremy, you are the master here.

Yes, yes.

Yeah.

I love this.

This is a lot of dough.

How many pretzels can you make out of this?

Probably be about about 30 ish.

30.

Yep.

This looks like one giant pretzel for my belly.

I'll be.

I'll be awesome.

I love the pretzels.

You know this?

It's all good, I love them.

You're going to show us how to do it correctly?

Yeah.

Of course.

So how do you know the approximate amount to.

So you always want to make sure I always go about my about my tool, my elbow.

Okay.

You're.

So your arm is bigger than mine.

So you want me.

So you want to roll out.

So you want start rolling it out from the middle.

Make sure all nice and even aiming.

And then you want to get about 40 48in or your arms being 48.

And then you can bring it up and just just like that a magician.

Yep.

Just like that.

Oh my gosh.

No.

Is there anything unique about why you use this particular countertop?

Nope.

It's just one of those things that we just use.

Okay.

It's not like a cooling counter or anything like that.

So.

All right.

Are you going to show me how to do this now?

Sure thing.

I'll do it for you.

All right, so go ahead, start in the middle and just work your way out.

All right.

Kind of like rolling and stretching, kind of as you go to make it longer.

There you go.

See?

That's right.

You go.

There you go.

Okay.

Now I'm going one side bigger than the other.

So just show, just just work.

Just work on that side bigger.

Okay.

Well, now it's definitely okay.

This is why I'm not very good at this, but how's that?

I will get you there in no time.

You long enough?

Yep.

So go ahead.

And then it's your.

You pick it up.

OOP.

Close that faster.

You guys see that like a pro here.

It's like a nut.

It's like a Christmas close club.

Hey close though.

Boom.

Hey look at that look when we did not for though.

So there you go.

You shake it out a little bit.

It's still wow.

So good.

And then we just dug in our water and put in the water.

It wasn't water.

Do that.

It just helps it browned up and makes it makes our salt easier to stick to you.

So I would say for the person who gets that one, I and we just salt it.

The salt is important.

I know sometimes you do it without salt to be sure.

Do.

Yep.

Especially here.

Everyone loves our sugar.

What?

So?

Oh, really?

Yep.

Everyone loves, I should admit, sugar.

See, I was telling him I like the garlic and parmesan.

Yep.

I said my sugar is probably one of our top three.

I would say.

What kind of toppings do you guys have?

We have cinnamon sugar.

We have, garlic, onion and parmesan.

Lots of options.

Oh yeah.

Yeah.

All right, let's do it again.

Can I do it again?

Because I have to master this.

I have to do this.

All right, here we go.

So ro ro ro.

Oh, there we go.

I think that was my problem.

I'm drilling too much in the middle and not enough at the ends.

You know why?

Because my arms are short.

Yeah.

You have long arms.

Yeah.

So go ahead and pick it up and mix.

Okay.

Make it.

You're sweating.

Make a U. Yep, yep.

Make a U out of it.

And then whatever hand your dominant with.

You want to bring it together and then flick your wrist.

Too much flicking.

Yep.

You know drop it down.

Yeah.

Yeah I'm going to get it.

There you go.

Looks oh looks good.

Close enough.

There we go.

There you go.

You have to master this two.

I would not say mastering from the master.

That's squeezing master.

That's why they have me here for.

Oh, I love it, I love it, Jimmy.

How long have you been working here?

I have been working with Ben's for.

For about ten years.

Ten years?

Yep.

And how have you seen things grow over that time?

Oh, it's just immensely so, especially for the national press today.

We are here all day long.

Oh, my gosh.

Open to close.

I will be here.

Rolling process for you for everyone here.

How many presents do you think you guys go through that day?

I would say over a thousand.

That's crazy.

I know you're coming to get some of those pretzels too, because I'll be here.

So yeah, I'm here every year for it.

Yeah.

We can't wait, can't wait for love that I love that.

What would you want to tell people about, you know, why should they come and get a pretzel here from them?

It's a great organization.

It's great.

We we help.

We help the veterans find homes and find assistance that they need.

It is just it is one of the things that we look forward to every year helping the veterans and even throughout the year whenever we can, we help.

I love that, and in the pretzel, I mean, I mean, can we just show some of the final touches?

Cause, you know, when I look at what I did over here.

That's right.

That was great.

But let's just.

So this is basically everything we offer.

Basically everything except for, obviously, our shakes.

So those ones come after we just put a little butter on it and shake on top.

And they're just so good they melt in your mound.

They love them so much.

And my kids like the bite.

Oh, you're very, very popular.

Okay.

But I have to ask the question.

This is this is the ultimate debate in our household.

Do you get more with the bites than you do with the pretzel?

You get a little bit more with the bites.

And the person who's told you kids.

All right.

Thank you so much.

Good luck on National Thanksgiving Day.

Come out and get your free pretzel.

All the information is available on their Facebook page.

And eat up.

Yes.

Come.

Come see us.