When the basement flooding first contaminated the mall's water supply, the pretzel stand's industrial salt crystalizers created a supernatural reaction that trapped the vendor's spirit in an endless loop of service. The phantom emerged as survivors first fled the food court, forever bound to its station by the very salt that once flavored its wares.

The Pretzel Phantom manifests as a translucent figure wreathed in glowing salt crystals that drift like ethereal snow, leaving trails of spectral pretzel dough that harden into supernatural barriers. Its ghostly form can phase through solid matter but becomes corporeal when dispensing cursed concessions that appear appetizing but carry the mall's infection. The phantom's presence causes temperature drops and makes metal surfaces corrode with supernatural salt buildup.

It haunts the food court area, luring desperate survivors with the phantom scent of fresh pretzels before trapping them in loops of endless ordering and payment that drain their sanity. The Pretzel Phantom serves as a guardian of the food court's dark secrets, preventing escape through the kitchen areas while maintaining the horrific parody of customer service.