When you’re busy twisting dough all day and into the night, the irony of an evil twist can either bring you to your knees or make you stand tall and accept the challenge to see it through to a whole new adventure. That’s what Todd and Jennifer Lentz elected to do when a bad twist nearly knocked them out of business.
Todd and Jennifer own a Harbor Country company called Stuffed Gourmet Pretzels. That company was born a couple of years ago as a food truck nicknamed Stella that would travel to various venues and events to share an amazing array of stuffed gourmet soft pretzels and quickly gained an incredible following. The sad twist happened to them last June when Stella the truck was involved in an accident and the insurance company declared her to be a total loss.
As fate would have it, while in search of a replacement vehicle, the Lentz family happened upon the quaint little bakery building that once housed the company called Hello Donuts. It was serendipitous and Todd and Jennifer elected to capitalize on the opportunity so they acquired the space and became a brick & mortar retailer of their popular stuffed gourmet soft pretzels that come in a stunning array of sizes, shapes, flavors and concoctions that will blow your mind.
Their new shop was humming along and planning to shut down for the winter season when their giant convection oven gave out on them less than two weeks before the planned end of the season. Fortunately, they had the full winter season to get things back and humming and for the last couple of weeks they have been conducting talent recruitment and training sessions for their new “Pretzel Ninjas,” who have been experimenting on getting menus and styles committed to memory and the art of the pretzel twist perfected.
Those fortunate enough to have stumbled on the shop while out roaming Harbor Country managed to score some of those experimental offerings at 50-percent savings. Likewise, Facebook fans were regularly alerted to prime opportunities to score those savings as training continued. Now, however, it’s just about show time.
The shop, located at 13057 Red Arrow Highway in Sawyer, will reopen for the season this Saturday and Sunday, April 8th and 9th from 9am until 5pm both days, and Jennifer says she will post the menu for the weekend on her Facebook page by Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the Harbor Country Chamber of Commerce will perform a ribbon cutting ceremony during the official Grand Opening of Stuffed Gourmet Pretzels on Friday, April 21, 2017 at 11:00am (EDT). That celebration will feature special gourmet pretzels and giveaways.
While the soft pretzel crew originally gained popularity by baking and serving from their mobile kitchen at area festivals and events, their new permanent spot for customers to seek out their favorite stuffed gourmet pretzels has undergone a transformation to comfortably accommodate their loyal followers.
The quaint pretzel shop features both indoor and outdoor patio seating under shade trees along Red Arrow Highway. The scent of warm fresh pretzels is ever present at the entrance, since the dough is baked daily. Creatively stuffed with everything from Italian sausage to bacon cheeseburger or caramel apple pie, the pretzel menu is always changing. According to Jennifer, “We are pretzel people. Pretzels are what we do. April is National Pretzel Month, so of course we will have some awesome pretzel deals too.”
The seasonal produce from the area, allows the Lentz’ to source local ingredients and invent an endless list of imaginative gourmet stuffings. Homemade soup and sauces are also featured on the menu to round out a great meal for any time of day.
For more information about Stuffed Gourmet Pretzels hours and menu, you can visit their Facebook page or call (269) 426-2599.
Oh, and by the way, last October Todd and Jennifer happened upon Stella #2. A red step van is undergoing a transformation so that event coverage can return to the fold for the Stuffed Gourmet Pretzel peeps on down the road. Stay tuned.
The Harbor Country Chamber of Commerce was established in 1981 to represent the eight communities of Michiana, Grand Beach, New Buffalo, Union Pier, Lakeside, Harbert, Sawyer and Three Oaks. With a rich heritage of leadership and collaboration, the Chamber works in partnership with local municipalities to advocate for business in the area and lead economic development efforts to make Harbor Country a premier place to live, work, and play.
