Milwaukee, WI
Made In Wisconsin: Milwaukee Pretzel Company expands as demand grows
Milwaukee Pretzel went from an idea to a successful business in just a few short years. The story starts when owners Matt and Katie Wessel spent time in Germany for Katie’s job in 2012.
“We were traveling a lot of places in Bavaria, and we were eating these pretzels day in and day out. And it just hit us that America—and Milwaukee in particular, a very Germanic city—needed these pretzels as a part of its identity,” Matt Wessel says.
TMJ4, Tom Durian
Once they returned to the U.S., Katie, a self-described foodie, started playing around with recipes, mixing styles of pretzels they enjoyed during their travels.
“It was only once we were back and we talked about it and made a few batches, and friends tried them, that we thought we had something that was fairly viable,” Matt said.
Those same friends helped Matt and Katie with their first big order. After meeting with the German Fest board in 2013, Matt thought he could get the pretzel into the next year’s festival.
Watch: Milwaukee Pretzel Company started by husband and wife duo.
Made In Wisconsin: Milwaukee Pretzel Company expands as demand grows
The organizers had another thought. Matt says, “They tried them and were very straight-faced; we didn’t know what they thought. Well, they called us later that afternoon and said, ‘We actually have a vendor spot open for this festival. Can you do it?’ I’m like, ‘No, that’s three weeks away, we can’t do it. But thank you.’ But Katie is like, ‘We can do it.’” They made 2,000 pretzels for the festival and sold out.
Pretzels were made in three different locations as the company continued to outgrow each space. Eventually, they settled in Milwaukee’s Granville Woods, where they can make more than 2,000 pretzels an hour, and are currently expanding. Doubling their square footage will increase output tremendously.
Matt says, “Probably about 10,000 an hour. Twelve thousand pretzels an hour.” This will likely mean the company will have to add to their 105 employees and their current amount of equipment. Some of the company’s products are made by machines, while others are still made by hand and likely always will be.
Wessel believes the reason the pretzels are so popular is the ingredients—or really, the lack thereof. They don’t use preservatives or sugar when making their pretzels, making their pretzels fresh to order before they are shipped to customers.
Wessel says, “It’s really gratifying to see people start to talk about Milwaukee as a region for pretzels. We’ve even had people outside of the Midwest refer to ‘Milwaukee pretzels,’ referring to our style, and that means a lot to us.”
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Milwaukee, WI
Where to watch San Antonio Spurs vs Milwaukee Bucks: Live stream, start time, TV channel, odds for Saturday, March 28
The San Antonio Spurs can clinch no worse than the Western Conference’s No. 2 playoff seed with a victory over the Milwaukee Bucks in an afternoon matinee game on Amazon.San Antonio is heavily favored with a moneyline of -2500, while Milwaukee is at +1100.
How to watch San Antonio Spurs vs. Milwaukee Bucks
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Time: 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT
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Where: Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, Wis.
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Team records
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San Antonio Spurs: 55-18 (No. 1 in Southwest Division)
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Milwaukee Bucks: 29-43 (No. 3 in Central Division)
Odds
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Spread: San Antonio Spurs -18.5
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Moneyline: Milwaukee Bucks +1100) / San Antonio Spurs -2500
Milwaukee, WI
Travelers see shorter lines at Milwaukee Mitchell despite the ongoing partial government shutdown
MILWAUKEE — Despite a partial government shutdown causing long TSA lines at airports across the country, travelers at Milwaukee Mitchell airport are experiencing short wait times ahead of spring break.
John Wahlen and his colleague Joe Orendorf were coming back home from North Carolina and prepared for a much different scene.
“We were remarkably surprised that it was as easy as it was,” Wahlen said.
Brendyn Jones/TMJ4
A national TSA spokesperson told TMJ4 that over 3,450 TSA officers called out across the country on Thursday. The national call-out rate was at 11.83% percent, the highest since the shutdown began.
While the TSA could not provide specific numbers for Milwaukee Mitchell, the airport was not in the top-10 for call-out rates.
The highest percentages of call-offs came from much larger airports, including George Bush Intercontinental in Houston at 44 percent, Atlanta at almost 41 percent, and Baltimore at 37 percent.
“We were in smaller airports, Raleigh-Durham, I think we waited for two people, and one of them was him,” Orendorf said.
Watch: Travelers see shorter lines at Milwaukee Mitchell despite the ongoing partial government shutdown
Travelers see shorter lines at Milwaukee Mitchell despite the ongoing partial government shutdown
A spokesperson for Milwaukee Mitchell told TMJ4 that around 11,000 people are expected this Friday and Saturday, and next Friday and Saturday as spring break travel peaks.
President Trump signed an executive order to pay TSA agents, meaning a resolution may be on the horizon. Travelers, including Selena Mauricio, said they are thankful for the agents who are still showing up.
Brendyn Jones/TMJ4
“Their jobs aren’t easy, and I commend the ones that still come to work, definitely,” Mauricio said.
This story was reported on-air by Brendyn Jones and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
Let’s talk:
Hey there! At TMJ4 News, we’re all about listening to our audience and tackling the stuff that really matters to you. Got a story idea, tip, or just want to chat about this piece? Hit us up using the form below. For more ways to get in touch, head over to tmj4.com/tips.
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MILWAUKEE — A truck drove through the Grace Coffee Co. in Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward on early Friday morning, the owners announced in a social media post.
Due to the extensive damage that was done, the coffee shop will be closed until further notice.
TMJ4
“We’re incredibly grateful no one was hurt, and we’ll keep you updated as we begin repairs,” the coffee shop said in the post.
TMJ4 reached out to the Milwaukee Police Department but have yet to hear back.
Let’s talk:
Hey there! At TMJ4 News, we’re all about listening to our audience and tackling the stuff that really matters to you. Got a story idea, tip, or just want to chat about this piece? Hit us up using the form below. For more ways to get in touch, head over to tmj4.com/tips.
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