Gilroy shoppers are about to get a new excuse to grab a snack between deals. Wetzel's Pretzels is opening its first outlet-style location at Gilroy Premium Outlets, with local franchisees Varuzh and Harout Abgaryan locking in a 10-year lease for a new kiosk that is slated to debut sometime between March 31 and April 7. The stand is expected to add a quick-serve pretzel option right as the spring weekend crowds roll in.
According to the Silicon Valley Business Journal, the Abgaryans have completed the decade-long lease and are targeting the first week of April to start serving customers. The deal marks Wetzel's first official outlet-center presence in Gilroy, as reported by the outlet.
Local Operators Behind the Push
Father-and-son team Varuzh and Harout Abgaryan are no strangers to the brand. They already run multiple Wetzel's locations across Northern California and opened a bakery at Stanford University last year, QSR Web reported. The Gilroy kiosk folds into that growing regional footprint, so regulars can expect the familiar Wetzel's menu and service approach to show up at the outlets.
Why Outlets Make Sense
Wetzel's has been leaning into high-traffic, nontraditional formats such as campus bakeries and travel plaza locations as it grows under parent company MTY Food Group, Restaurant Dive reported. These locations are designed to attract shoppers and travelers looking for a quick snack between stops. A kiosk at an outlet mall fits that playbook neatly, putting the brand in front of bargain hunters and families roaming the center.
Gilroy Premium Outlets, managed by Simon Property Group, draws visitors from the South Bay and Monterey region and lists more than 140 stores and dining options on its official site, making it a logical landing spot for a grab-and-go bakery tenant, according to the center's information. The mall's profile and map detail operating hours and its tenant directory, although the new Wetzel's unit had not been added to the public directory as of this report.
