On the move
Pretzels Plus moving to downtown Washington
Freshly baked pretzels will soon be available in downtown Washington.
Pretzels Plus is moving from its longtime home at Washington Crown Center in North Franklin Township to 189 S. Main St. by April 1.
Anastasia Barr-Whiteman, who owns the business with her husband, Andrew, said equipment will start to be moved Monday, but they want to remain in the current location at least through Kidsfest, scheduled for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 23 at the mall.
“It’s been a labor of love,” she said. “When we bought this place, we came in here with no food experience. We spent three months learning everything we could from (the previous owners).”
The Carmichaels couple purchased Pretzels Plus from Gemma Ross and Sharon Crile last year.
“We wanted to bring the Pretzels Plus brand, because people love the pretzels, but it needed to have that modern spin on it,” Barr-Whiteman said. “That’s essentially what we’re trying to do, bring it back to life. We knew that when we bought it, this probably wouldn’t be the forever home.”
The current menu of freshly baked pretzels, pretzel bites, custom cookie cakes, smoothies, soft drinks and sandwiches on a pretzel roll will be expanded.
“The vision for Pretzels Plus has essentially changed with our ownership,” Whiteman-Barr said. “It’s still the same great pretzel, same great quality. But we wanted to expand the menu, expand the offerings.”
The new shop will feature some of the offerings from the now-closed Amish Touch shop on Berry Road in South Strabane Township, including the original cash register.
“One of the owners of our building owned that store,” Barr-Whiteman explained. “We’re very sentimental people. We like the nostalgia of things.”
An Amish deli and grocery store will be in the new location, as well as an ice cream shop and grab-and-go station with salads, sandwiches and parfaits.
“We want to make sure people can get in and out quickly,” Barr-Whiteman said. “We want to be quick-service. We want to offer that fast-food feeling with a made-from-scratch type of feel. Affordability is big for us. We want people to be able to buy a pretzel and not feel like they’re breaking the bank. We want there to be something for everyone when they walk in the door.”
Barr-Whiteman said they have a partnership with Hershey Ice Cream and the new shop will sell loaded milkshakes as part of its ice cream selection.
“It’s going to be a wild ride,” she said. “But it’s going to be gradual.”
Also coming to the new location is manager Diana Appleby, who has been with Pretzels Plus for 12 years, and the current staff of four. Barr-Whiteman plans to hire three or four more people as soon as possible.
Shana Brown, Main Street manager for the Washington Business District Authority, said the business and its owners will be a great addition to the city’s downtown.
“She’s a real dynamo,” Brown said. “I can’t wait to get her into town. She’s going to make a huge difference in the community.”
Barr-Whiteman said feedback about the move from its long-term mall location has been mixed.
“There’s some people who can’t believe we’re pulling something out that’s been here forever,” she said. “For the most part, people say they’re really sad about the move, but feel this is the right move.”
Hours of operation have not been finalized, but Barr-Whiteman anticipates longer hours in the spring and summer months.
“We want to be able to create some jobs,” she said. “A lot of people who have applied with us live in that area and they all walk to work. We want to create second-chance opportunities for people.”
The couple are Washington County natives: Barr-Whiteman is from Avella and her husband is from the Lincoln Hill section of North Franklin Township. They are excited about the new location and appreciative of the help they’ve received in making the move.
“When we breathed some life back into the pretzel shop, the community really rallied around us,” Barr-Whiteman said. “We couldn’t have done this without the community support in allowing us to keep getting them some really good food.
“We are sad to see the legacy of this place end after 22 years in this location. We really thought hard about that, but it’s time.”