Pretzilla bakers planning a move to Franklin
Soon the sweet smell of pretzel bread will fill the air in Franklin’s business park.
Milwaukee-based Miller Baking Co./Pretzilla is consolidating all operations to the City of Franklin, according to Mayor Steve Olson.
“We’re now the pretzel capital of southeast Wisconsin, if not the state,” Olson told the Journal Sentinel. “We welcome Miller Baking to our community.”
Régulo Martínez-Montilva, Franklin’s principal planner, said the city has received a site plan amendment application for a building addition for Pretzilla which is still under review.
The building which Pretzilla will occupy at 4620 S. Oakwood Park Drive is 162,473 square feet.
Miller Baking Co. has submitted an application to construct a two-story bakery addition on the north side of the building adjacent to Ironwood Drive, adding 28,152 square feet (14,076 square feet per floor).
According to city documents, the site “will be the home of Pretzilla production teams and corporate support functions.”
Plans indicate the plant will have two distinct areas, the raw processing side and the ready-to-eat side, according to project documents.
The raw side will include “mixing, portioning, moulding, proofing, retarding, caustic bathing and cutting/scoring of raw dough.” The ready-to-eat side includes “baking, cooling, packaging and freezing,” documents said.
The facility will employ 120 people per shift with three shifts per day. The plant will be in operation seven days a week with six days of production and the seventh day reserved for sanitation.
Eight to 10 trucks will be inbound each day, plans said, with 12 to 14 daily outbound trucks.
When asked about the company’s plans and timeline, a Pretzilla representative said in an email the company “will not be offering any additional commentary” at this time.
Founded in 1923, Miller Baking Co. says its Pretzilla soft pretzel bread and buns are the best-selling in North America. The Pretzilla bun was developed by Miller Baking Co. in 2007.
The company ended production of its other offerings in late 2017 and shifted its focus to expanding Pretzilla production.
Pretzilla products are free of artificial preservatives, no artificial colors, flavors and no high fructose corn syrup. They’re vegan, non-GMO, kosher and allergen-friendly, according to the company.
The pretzel bread can be enjoyed immediately or stored in a freezer for up to six months.