By JOYANNA LOVE/Senior Staff Writer

Ben’s Soft Pretzels celebrated their grand opening Jan. 17 with a ribbon cutting and free pretzels.

The Clanton location, located inside Walmart, actually opened in October. Co-owner Martin Wybenga said now they have “worked the kinks out.”

In celebration, free jumbo pretzels are being given out from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Martin Wybenga and his wife Amy own the Clanton and Prattville locations through the company’s franchise opportunities.

“When we first got interested in bringing Ben’s Soft Pretzels from Indiana to Alabama, we had a business plan that we thought was important to Clanton and Prattville,” Martin Wybenga said.

Amy Wybenga’s uncle owns four Ben’s Soft Pretzels in Indiana.

“We went and tried one and the product is just so tasty and so good … We said to ourselves, ‘This is probably something that would take off in central Alabama,’” Martin Wybenga said.

The menu features a variety of soft pretzels and dipping sauces.

“My favorite thing is the pretzel dog, and I love it because it is really, really, really tasty,” Wybenga said.

The company concentrates on hot, fresh pretzels with the guarantee that if a customer’s pretzel is not perfect they will exchange it for one that is.

Ben’s Soft Pretzels CEO Scott Jones said the pretzel recipe used was created by Ben Miller.

“They are made with love. They are Amish inspired. Ben was Amish and Dutch heritage and the recipes that are infused into this product are not like any other pretzel in the world,” Jones said. “It’s light, it’s fluffy. It melts in your mouth.”

Ben’s also uses a specific flake salt imported from Germany. Each pretzel is brushed with butter for the finishing touch.

“We always feel like it is our job to sell the first pretzel, but it is the pretzel’s job to sell the rest of them,” Jones said.

Jones’ favorite is the original soft pretzel with nacho cheese dip.