Kim & Scott’s Gourmet Pretzels is bringing its famous Twist-n-Tops to Make-A-Messterpiece, the new children’s activity center in Glenview’s Glen Town Center.   Make-A-Messterpiece is new on the scene and kids are loving it!  Kim & Scott’s is taking over the MAM kitchen this week where kids will learn to twist and decorate their own pretzels to make them their very own.  Talk about kid empowerment!

Make-A-Messterpiece is located at the Glen Town Center, 2050 Town Dr., Glenview (for more info, call 847-737-1487).

Happy Holidays from your friends at Kim & Scott’s Gourmet Pretzels!

Attention Facebook Fans!  Just a friendly notice to all of our loving and caring group Pretzels for Peace group members that we will soon be combining out Pretzels for Peace group with our Kim & Scott’s Gourmet Pretzels fan page. We decided to do this, as we have more causes, like Pretzel Power and Green Twist, and thought we’d provide one destination location for all our great news and efforts. If you are not already a fan, we invite you to become one at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/kimandscott today!

Thank you and Peace.

A special thanks to our friends at Oy!Chicago for their recent spotlight on our loveable founders, Kim & Scott Holstein. Oy!Chicago states they’re a place “For the socially conscious, intellectually curious, & community-minded Chicagoan.” This extensive, savvy website is home to articles, blog posts, event listings and ongoing discussions about everything relating to Jewish life and beyond. In the feature titled 8 Questions for Kim and Scott Holstein, Pretzel Makers, Partners 24-7, Do-Gooders, learn everything from what’s on Kim’s ipod to what Scott wanted to be when he grew up!

Click here to see the full profile on our very own Kim & Scott!

Yesterday, Kim and Scott attended an Economic Round Table with Mayor Daley and participated in the press conference that followed.  Chicago’s Mayor is announcing a new incentive to create jobs in the Chicagoland area.  He is proposing to waive the employee “head tax” on businesses, hoping that will inspire companies in the city to hire more employees. There were other ideas discussed that came out of the round table with area business entrepreneurs, invited due to the growth in creating new jobs that new and growing businesses can bring and effect jobs and the economy.  Kim address the press with our story and the importance of acting purposeful.  ”We have to watch every dollar that we spend. We’re constantly looking at that, trying to build our revenues, and then hire more people so we can grow our business,” Kim stated. Currently, Chicago businesses pay $4 per employee each month. The mayor’s proposal comes as the Obama administration also seeks to jump-start the job market.  This is of great importance to us as Kim and Scott’s Gourmet Pretzels employees nearly 100 people to hand craft their pretzels.  Not to mention, we’re looking to employee even more Chicagoans with the opening of our newest Twisted Cafe this Spring.  “They’re made with love and they’re hand twisted. You can tell…part of what goes into the decision about whether we automate or use people is the head tax. It’s basically a tax on having people to twist pretzels,” said Scott.  For information on the employee head tax and more on  Kim & Scott’s involvement, click here http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local&id=7162110.

Gourmet Dipped Chocolate Covered Pretzel Rods

No matter where you’re going this holiday season (back to your hometown, office holiday party, horrific holiday sweater party), no matter who you’re spreading holiday cheer with (close family, lifetime friends, family you’d prefer to only see every other year), Kim & Scott’s Gourmet Dipped Chocolate Covered Pretzel Rods are a perfect complement to any holiday gathering! These delectable treats are covered with luscious milk chocolate and topped off with a drizzle of silky dark chocolate: the ideal combination of salty and sweet! Perfect for holiday parties, stocking stuffers, or just as a special treat for yourself, click here to order your box of Gourmet Dipped Chocolate Covered Pretzel Rods today!

Kim & Scott recently had an incredible time as acting “Principal’s for a Day” at Libby School on Chicago’s South Side, made possible by the Urban Initiatives Program.  Throughout the day, Kim & Scott lived pretzels with a purpose and shared “Pretzel Power” with all the students, teachers, and administrators of the school.  This included “Twist ‘n Top with Kim & Scott” (twisting and topping pretzels), sitting in on an inspiring drumming class where students made beats on plastic drums, and breakout advisory groups where Kim & Scott had one on one time with the students.  During these group sessions, the students were able to talk freely about issues going on in their lives.  Kim & Scott emphasized the importance of staying in school, believing in your dreams and at the close of the group session, talked through their “Twisted Tips for Entrepreneurs.”  Kim & Scott were also able to have lunch with the school principal and a few teachers, who Kim says were “Very committed incredible teachers.”  Thanks Libby School!

“The number of children who have food allergies is not only increasing, it now encompasses 4% of all kids in the United States, according to an analysis of four large, national surveys published Monday in the journal Pediatrics.” -  Shari Roan of the L.A. Times

Here at Kim & Scott’s, We Strive to Provide Dietary Alternatives:

• Our bakery is a nut-free facility.
• Our pretzel creations are all-natural and contain no preservatives, trans fats, or hydrogenated oil.
• Our Traditional and Stuffed Pretzels are 100% vegetarian.
• We launched our first Empowered Pretzel in January 2008, which contains extra protein, omega-3’s, whole wheat, and more.

All Because We Care!

Read the full L.A. Times article here >> http://www.chicagotribune.com/health/la-sci-allergies17-2009nov17,0,6179932.story

We were featured on WGN-TV’s midday news with Allison Payne today.  We demonstrated a Stuffed Pizza Pretzel recipe that you can make at home!  We took Allison through the steps, and also showed her how to twist a pretzel.  It was a ton of fun.

Allison was also nice enough to mention our mission to live “pretzels with a purpose,” which opened the door for us to tease some very exciting news about a program we are launching nationally very soon that empowers kids to “raise some dough” for their school.  In this economy it’s more important than ever to help save critical school programs that help shape the young minds of our future.

Stay tuned for our exciting announcement.  We can’t wait to share the news and get your feedback, as you all have been so helpful and supportive in our mission.

Peace

Here’s a direct link to our segment:

http://www.wgntv.com/news/middaynews/wgntv-midday-fix-gourmet-pretzels,0,5138827.story

What a fun filled afternoon!

On August 25, 2009 Galaxy Tours and Travel brought fifty two seniors to Kim and Scott’s Twisting Cafe located in the Kohl’s Children Museum to twist and decorate their own pretzels as the final stop on their Mystery Tour.  These delightful folks had no idea where they’d be traveling or what they would get to see and do the entire day.  We were thrilled that their final stop was with us!

Our Pretzel Professor shared the history of the pretzel’s origin and walked them through the twisting process. Everyone got their own strip of dough to twist into that familiar pretzel shape or for the more creative in the group, any shape they pleased. Next came the decorating and all our pretzel artists were provided with red, blue, green and yellow food color paints, and what delicious hand-made pretzel would be complete without toppings? Marshmallows, chocolate chips, and cinnamon sugar were all artfully applied to each pretzel creation until they were pretzel perfection. Then the pretzel creations were gathered up for baking at our cafe kitchen.

The group then had the opportunity to explore the museum and the newly renovated Habitat Park while their pretzels baked, and everyone got to take home their own warm pretzel. It was such fun being in a room full of laughter, smiles, and wonderful memories (and pretzels) being created. We even got the bus driver to jump in and make his own pretzel too!

Kim, our CEO and CIO (Chief Inspiration Officer) will receive the 2009 Entrepreneurial Woman of the Year Award from the Women’s Business Delopment Center (WBDC) at the organization’s 23rd Annual Entrepreneurial Woman’s Conference, the oldest and largest women’s business conference in the country.

Kim turned her passions for pretzels into a successful company whose mission is to transform the pretzel from a snack to an anytime meal. Her strong dedication to give back to her community and her passion for empowering children has also led to the development of our Pretzel Power program where students learn about entrepreneurship and securing their own futures.

Congrats Kim on such a well deserved award!