First OCONUS location of Wetzel's Pretzels opens at USAG Stuttgart

Photo By Balmina Sehra | More than 150 people gather at the Panzer Main Exchange at U.S. Army Garrison Stuttgart, Germany, March 5, 2026, to be among the first customers at the grand opening of the first Wetzel’s Pretzels location outside the continental United States. The opening is part of the Army & Air Force Exchange Service’s effort to bring familiar American brands and foods to the USAG Stuttgart military community. USAG Stuttgart serves as the Department of Defense’s premier overseas command and control platform, hosting two Unified Combatant Commands and three Service Component Commands across five installations. (U.S. Army photo by Balmina Sehra)  

STUTTGART, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY

03.05.2026

Story by Balmina Sehra 

U.S. Army Garrison Stuttgart

STUTTGART, Germany – More than 150 people gathered at the Panzer Main Exchange on U.S. Army Garrison Stuttgart on March 5 to be the first in line for a taste of home. The American pretzel franchise, Wetzel’s Pretzels, officially celebrated the opening of its first location outside of the continental United States.

“It feels like home,” said Stuttgart High School student Cooper Collins. “I now don’t have to drive all the way to Ramstein if I feel like a pretzel.”

While Germany is famous for its brezel, a traditional German bread with ancient origins, Wetzel's Pretzels offers a different take on the German staple.

The franchise serves warm, hand-rolled pretzels that are a familiar comfort food for many Americans and includes flavors like cinnamon sugar, which is unusual for pretzels in Germany but nostalgic for many Americans. However, the flavor options are not the only difference between the two pretzel types.

Staff Sgt. Tyler Perry shared his excitement about the new opening.

“Germany’s pretzels are good, but they’re just not the same," Perry said. "American pretzels are a lot fluffier and warmer.”

Although Wetzel's Pretzels has been in the United States since the early 1990s, this is its first location in Germany, much to the delight of community members.

This is part of the Exchange’s global effort to provide familiar foods to the USAG Stuttgart military community. Partnering with popular American brands allows the Exchange to bring a taste of home to the U.S. military community.

“For those of us stationed overseas, familiar things like favorite restaurants and brands are powerful morale boosters that connect us to our families and friends back home,” USAG Stuttgart Garrison Commander Col. Edward J. Sanford said. “It’s one more way we work together to improve quality of life and operational readiness here at USAG Stuttgart.”

Vanessa Osawa, a military spouse in line for the grand opening, said she was a regular at a Wetzel's Pretzels near her former home at Travis Air Force Base in California.

"People love American pretzels in the U.S.," Osawa said, adding that the dipping sauces are what make them unique. "This brings some of the U.S. to Germany, so it's going to make a lot of people who are used to going stateside very happy."

• Date Taken: 03.05.2026
• Date Posted: 03.05.2026 09:50
• Story ID: 559416
• Location: STUTTGART, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, DE
• Hometown: STUTTGART, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, DE