Brēzel Set to Sell Pretzels This Weekend

Bavarian-style pretzel-maker’s new OTR shop opens tomorrow

CINCINNATI (Thursday, September 25, 2014) – Brēzel (pronounced brayt-zuhl) officially opens its new Over-the-Rhine (OTR) location at 6 W. 14^th St. this Friday, September 26, at 11 a.m.

Brēzel, which makes hand-rolled Bavarian pretzels in a variety of flavors, had hoped to be open in time for Oktoberfest Zinzinnati 2014 last weekend, but a permit issue pushed the grand opening of Brēzel’s second store back by one week. While the unforeseen delay was not ideal, owner Brittany Baum took it in stride and is focusing on the positives.

“Being open for Oktoberfest was definitely a goal, but I didn’t know if we’d make it or not,” said Baum, who opened her first location at Columbus’ North Market in 2011. “I’m just really excited because this is definitely pretzel season and it will be nice to be open for this time of year.”

Although Brēzel wasn’t open for Oktoberfest, it still has a slight connection to last week’s festivities, as one of Brēzel’s partners – Das KaffeeHaus – made its first appearance at the celebration of German heritage in 2014. Brēzel will carry Das KaffeeHaus’ distinctly German-style coffee in its new shop starting on opening weekend.

Baum hopes Das KaffeeHaus is just the first in a long line of eventual partnerships, as she plans to reach out to a number of Cincinnati’s local breweries to discuss potential collaborations once Brēzel gets established in its new location. For now, she’s just looking forward to building her brand in a new city.

“We’re excited for a change and to really get to explore Cincinnati,” Baum said. “We’ve lived in Columbus for 14 years now, so we’re excited not just to open the shop but to actually move to the area, become residents and start from the ground up again.”

Brēzel will offer 10-12 different flavors during its opening weekend – including Jalapeno Cheddar; Asiago, Herb and Cracked Pepper; and seasonal offering Pumpkin Spice, all of which will be available in a variety of forms. In addition to standard size, the menu includes Pretzel Twists and Pretzel Bites, as well as dips (made from scratch), buns, soup bowls and pizza crusts – all made out of pretzel dough.

During its first few weeks, Brēzel plans to be open Tuesday through Saturday, eventually expanding to include Sunday as well. The shop will open at 11 a.m. each day, with closing times likely to vary based on demand. For more information, visit www.brezelpower.com.