WalMart is getting confused with new food options in Fresno

Wetzel’s Pretzels in the WalMart at 7065 N. Ingram Ave. in Fresno opened on April 1, 2024. Photo by Ben Hensley

A national food chain will turn the Golden Arches into pretzel twists, while mall favorite Wetzel’s Pretzels expands into new formats.

Wetzel’s Pretzels, which opened April 1 in the WalMart Supercenter at 7065 N. Ingram Ave., plans to expand further into new markets including food trucks, travel plazas, convenience stores and retail power centers.

Since 2021, WalMart partner McDonalds has also done so gradually, WalMart-based locations have closedwith the shift in customer shopping behavior and drive-thru options being the main reasons for closing 85% of their WalMart-based restaurants.

The pandemic has accelerated many of these closures.

Even as many malls and shopping centers see the return of foot traffic post-pandemic, Wetzel’s Pretzels is also thinking with the future in mind, staying in malls but evolving to reach customers in a variety of new environments.

“We are always looking for ways to ‘bring Pretzels to the people’ and our partnership with WalMart allows us to do this in an easy and efficient way,” a spokesperson for Wetzel’s Pretzels told The Business Journal. “We have Wetzel outposts at more than 30 WalMart locations across the country and encourage fans old and new to stop by our new Fresno location for a taste of the Wetzel twist.”

Wetzel’s also has a second location inside the WalMart store at 1185 Herndon Ave. in Clovis. The store also saw the former McDonald’s store replaced by the pretzel maker.

Local Walmarts are no strangers to the unique food offerings at their Valley locations; the Madera Walmart, located on W. Cleveland Ave. 1977, is home to a Dunkin’ Donuts store – one of only two in the Central Valley. A Visalia store opened in February 2020.

The Fresno Walmart location at 4080 W. Shaw Ave. is home to a Domino’s Pizza location.