Ben’s Soft Pretzels, recently named “Best Fast Food Franchise” by Franchiserankings.com, is celebrating its grand opening of the bakery in Alpena by offering free jumbo soft pretzels to the community Nov. 13 from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony with the Alpena Area Chamber of Commerce will take place at 10 a.m. at the bakery inside Meijer on M-32 West.

“We are proud to partner with Meijer to bring the Ben’s Soft Pretzels brand to the Alpena community. We believe in giving back to the communities in which our bakeries serve and we look forward to building strong ties with local schools and non-profits in the area. Giving away free pretzels during our grand opening is a way for us to say thank you to everyone who has given us such a warm welcome,” Don Drabik, vice president of operations, said.

The Amish inspired pretzel maker is a leader in the soft pretzels market, offering preservative-free pretzels baked fresh on site daily.

There currently are 50 locations throughout Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin and Florida. Ben’s Soft Pretzels master lease agreement with retail giants Walmart and Meijer allow for the franchise partners to open bakeries in high traffic areas.

In addition to Ben’s Soft Pretzels more traditional locations, it can be found at numerous stadium venues including the University of Notre Dame, Indiana University and University of Wisconsin.

Ben’s Soft Pretzels was founded in early 2008 in Indiana by three food loving entrepreneurs passionate about great tasting snacks.