As you step through the doors, you begin to smell the warm, salty scent of freshly baked pretzels, a familiar scent at the Harford Mall. The passionate desire that you MUST get those delicious smelling pretzels. The aroma guides you right to the counter to order. Now, Pretzel Twister is closing along with most stores in the mall. The mall will lose part of its warming charm and leave shoppers with empty stomachs.
Throughout the past couple of years, stores in Harford Mall have been closing rapidly. Unfortunately, it was destined for the Pretzel Twister to close too. Pretzel Twister has been a statement to Harford Mall for over 10 years and now with its closing the malls overall rating will decrease even more. Soft pretzels are more than just food; they are a statement to the mall and a perfect shopping snack. There is also a shortage of soft pretzel places in Harford County with very few options.
I interviewed a junior here at C. Milton Wright, Ethan Patel, to get an inside take on the impact of Pretzel Twisters closing. Ethan is a soft pretzel lover who has gone to Pretzel Twister many times. Ethan stated, “Pretzel Twister honestly wasn’t even that good, but it was pretzels and it was in the mall, and the symbolism is what made it so good.” When asked about Pretzel Twisters departure from the mall he said, “Now that Pretzel Twisters has left the mall I don’t think I’m going to go anywhere else for pretzels besides when I go to other malls.” When asked about the impact on Harford Mall, he said, “The soul of the mall is now gone.”
To get more thoughts and feelings about how the closing of Pretzel Twister will impact the overall experience of the mall, I interviewed pro shopper Keira Hill. Keira is a junior at Harford Technical High School who loves to mall shop. When asked about the effect of pretzel stores in malls, Keira stated, “Soft pretzels are a perfect snack while shopping. The smell always draws me in and attracts me to the mall.” I then asked her if she thinks that the closing of Pretzel Twister will decrease the participation in Harford Mall even more, and she said, “Yes for sure. It was a popular place and now the Harford Mall seems even more dead.”
Although the closing of Pretzel Twister is devastating, it is confirmed that the store will be reopening in Churchville. The sweet smell of soft pretzels will no longer fill the air in Harford Mall, but at least soft pretzel lovers will still have a place to go and enjoy! If you are also devastated by Pretzel Twisters closing in the mall, make sure to check it out in Churchville when they open up!
