Gnarly Knots Pretzel Co. to close in Winfield and relocate to Lombard

There's a major twist coming for Gnarly Knots Pretzel Co. in Winfield.

The owners of the popular lunch spot, famed for stuffed pretzels and homemade soups, recently announced that they are leaving Winfield in late April. Gnarly Knots will then expand in a move to downtown Lombard.

"We've been looking for three years," said Gnarly Knots co-owner Funi McLoughlin. "We knew that we had outgrown this space, and we knew that we needed to make a change."

Gnarly Knots co-owners McLoughlin and Matt Finn of Lombard revealed that they purchased The Corner House at 100 W. St. Charles Road in December 2021. They have also purchased the Lombard venue's coffee-making equipment. So the new Gnarly Knots will have a big focus on caffeinated drinks, too.

"It just felt right when we looked at the spot," McLoughlin said. "We'll be able to expand to include breakfast, lunch and dinner and be open seven days a week rather than six."

McLoughlin and Finn opened Gnarly Knots in 2013 at 27W570 High Lake Road, a former Winfield house that was more than a century old. Gnarly Knots quickly developed a loyal following via area Facebook group and later attracted nationwide TV attention via shows on the Travel Channel and the Food Network.

But McLoughlin and Finn were constantly fielding complaints about Gnarly Knots' lack of indoor seating and a public restroom. McLoughlin also said Gnarly Knots was hindered by a cramped kitchen space and a small cooler, which prompted their limited lunchtime hours.

"Part of the reason we've been so busy in Winfield is because, if you don't get there early, you're not going to get your order," McLoughlin said. "We inadvertently created this buzz with lines out the door."

McLoughlin was also candid about a franchised Gnarly Knots location that opened in Barrington in 2017 being an "unsuccessful venture." The Barrington location did not survive the COVID-19 pandemic.

McLoughlin hopes for Gnarly Knots to reopen in Lombard in late spring or early summer.

"Unfortunately, the relocation isn't going to be seamless," McLoughlin said. "The new Lombard location doesn't have a kitchen, so there is a build out involved."

McLoughlin is looking forward to Gnarly Knots having the extra space to make "10-times more pretzels every day." But she also thanks Gnarly Knots fans who helped make their original location a success.

"We'll be so sad to be leaving Winfield," McLoughlin said. "Everyone has been so loyal and amazing."