J&J SNACK FOODS CORP. Pennsauken, New Jersey Pretzel Maker's Growth Recipe: A Little Diversity -- And Spinach.(THE NEW AMERICA)

Byline: MARILYN MUCH

If there's a new twist to the pretzel business, Gerald Shreiber will likely find it.

He's chief executive of J&J Snack Foods Corp. -- the nation's No. 1 soft pretzel maker -- and he's been scouting for ways to revive the category since its growth stalled in the late 1990s.

J&J's product lineup includes frozen drinks, cookies and other goods. Some of the firm's brands will ring familiar to U.S. consumers: Icee, Artic Blast, Mrs. GoodCookie, Luigi's Real Italian Ice.

Soft pretzels, which generate one-third of sales, are its most profitable offering. That's one reason Schreiber has led efforts to kick the segment into higher gear.

Last summer, J&J rolled out a new line of gourmet soft pretzels -- called Pretzel Fillers -- to be sold at mall food courts and other foodservice operators. As the name suggests, the products are filled with different ingredients. They come in flavors that range from pizza to apple pie to spinach.

That initiative was followed by this year's launch of a companion line called Gourmet Twists. One variety is brushed with butter flavoring and topped with salt or cinnamon and sugar.