King’s Hawaiian has entered the convenience retail channel with the launch of Original Hawaiian Sweet Soft Pretzel Bites. The product is the brand’s first single-serve snack offering.

The new snack combines the brand’s signature sweet-bread profile with a savory soft-pretzel format. The bites are pre-salted and packaged for grab-and-go snacking.

King’s Hawaiian said the launch is designed to help foodservice and convenience store operators respond to demand for branded, portable snack options.

“Innovation at King’s Hawaiian is rooted in creating new ways for consumers to experience the flavors they love while helping operators meet evolving demand,” said Kyra Gilbert, director of brand commercialization at King’s Hawaiian.

The company cited the growth of the U.S. snacking category, which it said now exceeds $53 billion. According to King’s Hawaiian, citing a 2024 buyer survey conducted with Numerator, 86% of consumers agreed the Pretzel Bites are ideal for on-the-go snacking, while 83% said they taste great.

King’s Hawaiian said head-to-head testing conducted by Technomic found the branded Pretzel Bites scored 18 points higher than unbranded alternatives on uniqueness, 8 points higher on likelihood to drive a visit and 4 points higher on craveability.

The Sheetz launch builds on King’s Hawaiian’s broader pretzel portfolio and its strategy to expand into new channels and snacking occasions.

The Original Hawaiian Sweet Soft Pretzel Bites are distributed nationally through Dot Foods.

Why this matters for convenience services operators

• Branded grab-and-go snacks continue to gain traction as convenience retailers compete on foodservice quality and differentiation.
• Single-serve bakery snacks give operators a way to capture impulse purchases during travel, workday and afternoon snacking occasions.
• The launch reflects continued crossover between restaurant-style foodservice and convenience retail merchandising.