Healthy, fresh pretzels

Popular American pretzel maker Auntie Anne's has just opened a new store on level M of the Gate city mall at Zhongguancun. It is the first of its franchised stores in Beijing. The Pennsylvania-based franchisor says it now supports more than 940 locations worldwide in 19 countries.

The company mixes, twists and bakes pretzels in full view of customers. Its freshly baked, hand-rolled soft pretzels come in a variety of flavors from original to almond, plus garlic, spicy, sour cream & onion, glazed raisin, sesame and cinnamon sugar. Also available are the store's Pretzel (hot) Dogs, Stix, coffee, Coca Cola, and its signature lemonade, as well as four sauces.

The store promises that if a customer does not love his/her pretzel, it will replace it with one he/she does. All the products are made freshly on site, never from frozen dough, are baked minutes before consumption, rather than deep-fried, and made with healthy ingredients like clarified butter, with less than 5 grams of fat.