The Pretzel Bun Trend: Like or Dislike?

Posted August 18th, 2013 | 7:02am by Ryan

In fast food and casual chain dining we come across a new trend every couple of years that might have us thinking that original ideas don’t exist and copycats are everywhere. Following trends is just jumping on a sure thing and riding out the flavor of the month as a solid business strategy. It seems like sliders were springing up everywhere a few years back and I kind of liked that. A trending idea on the rise lately has come in the form of the pretzel bun. I just tried the latest Bacon Cheese Pretzel Burger from Ruby Tuesday and found myself getting caught up in the trend myself.

I remember when I first started seeing the pretzel bun getting some buzz back when Red Robin introduced the Oktoberfest Burger back in 2011… then I saw Steak ‘n Shake with a version of their own a year later.

Wienerschnitzel started using pretzel buns with their hot dogs in late 2012. In 2013, the pretzel bun looks to have officially become the trendy new ingredient in chain restaurants. Pretzel Dogs were spotted at Sonic in June and went nationwide soon after.

When fast food giant Wendy’s jumped on board this summer with their Pretzel Bacon Cheeseburger, I knew we really had something that has entered the mainstream.

I’ve recently noticed the pretzel bun make its appearance at Chili’s… and Ruby Tuesday of course has a new selection of four Pretzel Burgers. So my question to you to get a discussion going is this: Is the pretzel bun trend a draw for you or is this just another food fad?