Local couple puts a new ‘Twist’ on soft pretzels

By Stephen Baldwin, RealWV

Ivan and Rachel Allgyer are originally from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. A place where you can find every kind of pretzel every place you go.

When they moved to Union, West Virginia, the only pretzels they could find were hard, pre-packaged pretzels in the store. So they started making their own based on the best recipes from back home.

Earlier this year, they opened a food truck, called “The Twist.” Because…they twist homemade pretzels.

The finished product–a pretzel that is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. It’s a recipe with a secret that has been perfected over the years by Ivan and Rachel Allgyer. Photo by RealWV.

“People tell us, ‘These are the best pretzels I’ve ever eaten,’” says Rachel.

And she’s not kidding. I hear two customers tell her that during my visit to interview them. Then I hear it a third time when I try one of their pretzels and immediately say, “This is the best pretzel I’ve ever had.”

A dream come true

SIx years ago, Ivan and Rachel moved to Monroe County after growing up in Amish country, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.

“There’s pretzels everywhere,” Rachel says with a laugh. “But when we moved here, there were no soft pretzels.”

“For the last four years, we’ve been talking about doing this,” adds Ivan. “We put a plan into action earlier this year. We bought a trailer. Got the equipment. And just started.”

But they’re being humble. Not just anybody with a trailer and an oven can do what the Allgyers do. Because not everyone has the pretzel recipe they’ve spent years perfecting.

“It’s been a dream of ours for a few years,” Rachel says, “We started making soft pretzels for birthday, family events, or just Sunday afternoon activities.”

She says they tried multiple recipes from Lancaster County cookbooks, making it their own with every new attempt.

“There is definitely something we do different than most people that makes our pretzels better,” Ivan says.

“But we can’t give away our secret,” Rachel interjects. “Something that makes them more tender, not as tough.”

“Also the oven plays a role in how we make them,” says Ivan. “We have a different kind of oven that makes them crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.”

“They are made with love,” Rachel says earnestly. “And we enjoy sharing them with others.”

The Twist offers specials using their pretzel dough, such as this bacon, egg, and cheese breakfast sandwich. They also offer pepperoni rolls and turkey/swiss rolls as specials. Photo by RealWV.

Ivan and Rachel make everything from scratch in the trailer, from the dough to the dips to the lemonade.

“We’re stull trying to get our name out there,” Ivan says.

“It’s going really well so far,” Rachel notes. “People do seem to really like the pretzels.”

Where to find The Twist

Ivan works in construction and Rachel is a full-time homeschooling mom, so the food truck is generally available on nights and weekends. They’re booked solid the next few months across Greenbrier and Monroe County.

“We’ll be at Sunset Berry Farms a few times this fall for the Peach Festival and the Watermelon Festival,” says Rachel. “We’re hoping to get into Healing Appalachia. Then we’ll be at the Pumpkin Festival at Hanna Farmstead.”

“And we’ll also be at the Cider Festival at Greenville,” adds Ivan. “People are really great about supporting small businesses around here.”

Rachel agrees, saying, “Being a recipient of that is a really big blessing.”

For their full schedule, follow The Twist on Facebook.