Franchisee Spotlight: George Heck of the Mooresville, NC Location

Each week we highlight some of our newest Philly Pretzel Factory franchisees. This week, George Heck, co-owner of the Mooresville location, is our franchisee spotlight.

Franchisee Since: February 2008
Franchise Location: Mooresville Crossing, 591 S. River Highway, Mooresville, NC 28117

How George Heck Got Started with Philly Pretzel Factory…
For George Heck, the simple snack food of pretzels has been a major part of his life from his childhood into his adult life. He grew up just across the bridge of Philadelphia in South Jersey and throughout his childhood, pretzels were a staple American snack used in many of his school’s fundraisers. In his role on the student council at Palmyra High School, George encouraged using pretzels for fundraisers and at the concession stands. According to George, the reason the pretzels were so successful at his High School was a credit to their low price point and extreme popularity.

What Intrigued George Heck about Philly Pretzel Factory…
George grew up enjoying pretzels and believed that pretzels could be the snack of choice all across the country, not just in Philadelphia. When researching franchise opportunities, he visited many small mom and pop pretzel shops and even competitors of Philly Pretzel Factory. Ultimately, what led George to Philly Pretzel Factory was their positive brand image and consistent high quality product. George believes that Philly Pretzel Factory’s pretzels rank a step above other competitors in terms of quality, and his passion for pretzels would not allow him to settle for anything less than perfect.

Something Interesting about George Heck’s Story…
With over 20 years of experience in the construction financing industry, George created successful sales tactics which he still uses today. George is a strong believer that wholesale drives retail sale. His Mooresville location is the only location in North Carolina (30 miles north of Charlotte). Without a dense, city population, George drives throughout metro Charlotte (sometimes more than 50 miles from his store) to deliver pretzels to people who crave them including children in the Charlotte area school system and business professionals for their business meetings and non-profit organizations George’s nostalgia for pretzels during his childhood years is what makes him passionate about seeing smiles on children’s faces when he delivers them pretzels. He states that his main motivation for driving these long distances is to see the expression on the children’s faces when they receive pretzels after school.

George is looking to expand his business throughout the Charlotte metro area because of the high demand in the area. George would like nothing more than to provide more customers with top-of-the-line Philly pretzels.

George operates the store with his spouse, Jill Heck, Gary and Suzanne Heck, and Diane and Bill Pisel (three siblings and their spouses). They have relocated their families to Mooresville to bring a taste of Philly to the South. Bringing family together is one of their primary purposes along with their desire to give back to the community with an affordable, healthy snack option.

Philly Pretzel Factory Featured in Hampton Roads Business Journal

Philly Pretzel Factory was recently featured in an article in the Hampton Roads Business Journal. The article mentions Philly Pretzel Factory's newest item, the Cheesesteak Pretzel, along with their free Cheesesteak Pretzel promotion. Below is a sample of the article along with a link to the article in its entirety.

Restaurant wrap up What's new on the menu in Hampton Roads
May 21, 2010
By Danielle Walker

Philly Pretzel Factory is launching a new menu item, the Cheesesteak Pretzel - steak and cheese wrapped in the restaurant's staple Philly pretzel bread. After positive feedback from customers, the company, which has more than 100 locations throughout the Northeast, will release the new item on May 24. From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., there will be a free lunch promotion. Married couple, Kieran and Donna Gaughan, now own the Philadelphia-based business, which initially opened in 1998 under different management.

Location: 7454 Tidewater Drive, Norfolk

(READ MORE)

Philly Pretzel Factory Featured in Reading Eagle

Philly Pretzel Factory was recently featured in an article in the Reading Eagle. The article talks about the unveiling of the cheesesteak pretzel and the upcoming promotion for free cheesesteak pretzels. Below you will find a sample of the article along with a link to it in its entirety.

Food freebie
A dilly from Philly

Philly Pretzel Factory, with locations at 500 Penn St. and in Muhlenberg Township, will be promoting a new offering with a free lunch promotion Monday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

It's called the Cheese-steak pretzel, combining its original Philly pretzel recipe with top-quality steak."While not all marriages are guaranteed success, this team nearly hits perfection," said Dan DiZio, president and co-founder of the Philadelphia-based chain.

The Cheesesteak pretzel is seen as extending the franchise's offerings, so that customers can stop in for a snack, lunch or dinner.

(READ MORE)

Franchisee Spotlight: Mike DeCerbo, owner of Philly Pretzel Factory Locations in Manahawkin and Long Beach Island

Each week we highlight some of our newest Philly Pretzel Factory franchisees. This week, Mike DeCerbo, owner of the Manahawkin and Long Beach Island locations, is our franchisee spotlight.

Franchisee Since: December 2007
Franchise Locations: Manahawkin, NJ; Long Beach Island, NJ

How Mike DeCerbo Got Started With Philly Pretzel Factory…

For 20 years, Mike DeCerbo worked for his family’s heating and air conditioning business. When they sold the business, Mike had every desire to do something completely different from heating and air. Since he already had the entrepreneurial background, he planned to be in business for himself. He looked around for a while and couldn’t find anything that he was really passionate about so he began looking into franchising opportunities.

According to Mike, Philly Pretzel Factory was definitely different than his prior experience in heating and air. In fall 2007, he invested in his own location, which would be built in Manahawkin. While under construction, Mike began working at another Philly Pretzel Factory location to learn the business. What surprised him was how much he enjoyed working with the customers.

In December 2007, he brought back his knowledge from working at the other location to open up his own shop. Now two and a half years later, Mike is opening his second location where he resides in Long Beach Island, NJ.

Some Characteristics of the New Long Beach Island Location…

At the new Long Beach Island location, Philly Pretzel Factory employees will be twisting and baking all day long, which is going to be a fun attraction for beach goers. The new location is in an area called Schooner’s Wharf with about 30 other shops. It’s a seasonal business and will be open from approximately Memorial Day weekend until Labor Day.

Something Interesting About Mike DeCerbo Story…

Mike is from Tabernacle, NJ and is married to his wife, Marcy, and has three daughters: Lauren, 22; Alex, 20; and Maddie, 17.

Philly Pretzel Factory Featured on Tablematters.com

Philly Pretzel Factory was recently featured in an article posted on Tablematters.com entitled, "The Cheesesteak Pretzel: Really? A Stuffed Pretzel?" The article was built from an interview with Marty Ferrill, Vice President of Operations and focuses on the new Philly Cheesesteak Pretzel including the pretzel’s nutritional information and ingredients, why Philly Pretzel Factory decided to make the Cheesesteak Pretzel and how it’s made. Below is a sample of the article along with a link to the article in its entirety.

The Cheesesteak Pretzel
Really? A stuffed pretzel?
By Meg Favreau

The Snuggie, I think we can agree, is not an amazing product. But the TV-advertised sleeve-blanket that makes the wearer look like a fuzzy Jabba the Hutt captured American hearts, minds, and media outlets last year. Suddenly, the Snuggie was everywhere. TV news, late-night comedy shows, and magazines all wanted a piece of it. Here in Philadelphia, there was even a Snuggie bar crawl (I cringe thinking about how much spilled beer a Snuggie could absorb). Was the Snuggie useful? Mildly. It's hard to imagine someone could be so inconvenienced by using a blanket or wearing a robe that they need a sleeved blanket. Was the Snuggie original? Nope, the first Slanket was made in the late 90s. But did the Snuggie have a gimmick that caught people at the right time?

Oh, yes.

The Philly Pretzel Factory's new cheesesteak pretzel is the Snuggie of the Philly food world. It's not amazing, and it's certainly not necessary, but it is gimmicky enough to show up in papers and on websites (including this one, hi!). Don't get me wrong, eccentric food items are always fun to read about, and sometimes even to eat. Guinness-Record-breaking pizzas, deep-fried Oreos, and the mile-long hoagie Wawa is going to trot out for this year's Welcome America Festival all get me excited. And for Phila-specific offerings like Square Burger's (in Franklin Square Park), Tastykake shakes, or Bassett's ice cream’s mildly hilarious WHYY Experience (the pretzel bits must symbolize Marty Moss-Coane’s journalistic crunch) — I'm on board.

(READ MORE)

Philly Pretzel Factory Featured on Fox and Friends

Philly Pretzel Factory was featured on Fox and Friends on April 26th for National Pretzel Day. In case you missed it, the video segment is posted below.

Philly Pretzel Factory Featured in The Mercury

Philly Pretzel Factory was recently featured in The Mercury, the local daily newspaper for Pottstown, PA. The article was published both online and print today, May 21st. The article was built from the Cheesesteak Pretzel press release and our pitching efforts. Below is the article along with a link to the original source.

Philly Pretzel Factory to offer free Philly Cheesesteak pretzels

PHILADELPHIA — Philly Pretzel Factory has revolutionized the soft pretzel by bringing together two of Philadelphia's oldest and most beloved foods: The pretzel and the cheesesteak. The pretzels offer a one-two punch of thinly sliced steak, combined with cheese and wrapped up in a warm, Philly soft pretzel, creating a one-of-a-kind food.

"While not all marriages are guaranteed success, this team nearly hits perfection," said Dan DiZio, president and co-founder of Philly Pretzel Factory, a 100-plus-unit chain born and raised in Philadelphia.

DiZio noted that the brand will release the new product with a free lunch promotion for a Cheesesteak Pretzel, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., on Monday, May 24, at participating locations.

Philly Pretzel Factory was founded in 1998 by college buddies Dan DiZio and Len Lehman who created a recipe unique to Philly, yet desired in any market. Today, the award-winning pretzel feeds customers at more than 100 franchised locations, primarily in the Northeast. For more information on Philly Pretzel Factory, visit www.phillypretzelfactory.com.

(READ MORE)

Philly Pretzel Factory Featured in Charlotte Observer

Philly Pretzel Factory was recently featured in an article in the Charlotte Observer entitled, “Free cheesesteak pretzels, for those who dare”. The article was built from an interview with George Heck and focuses on the new Cheesesteak Pretzel as well as George’s entrepreneurial story and success as the only location in North Carolina. Below is a portion of the article along with a link to the article in its entirety.

Free cheesesteak pretzels, for those who dare
Jen Aronoff

The one and only N.C. location of the Philly Pretzel Factory, in Mooresville, will be giving away its newest product from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday - a cheesesteak pretzel. The pocket sandwich (alas, not pictured at left) combines two iconic foodstuffs from the City of Brotherly Love, with thinly sliced steak and American cheese wrapped in a warm soft pretzel.

Will it be two great tastes that taste great together? The Mooresville shop's co-owner, George Heck, sure thinks so. Eager to expand his lunch menu, the native of Riverton, N.J. - just across the river from Philadelphia - began experimenting with pocket sandwiches using pretzel dough about eight months ago and was pleased with the result. The Philly-based company is now selling such items in all its stores, and is aiming to launch them with the help of the Monday giveaway. The cheesesteak pretzels - admittedly, perhaps not for the faint of stomach - normally sell for $3.50 apiece, $6 for two or $5 as part of a combo that includes a drink and (naturally) a regular pretzel. (If you're looking for the famous cheesesteak with Cheez Wiz, though, look elsewhere: "The best cheesesteak is with white American cheese," Heck said.)

(READ MORE)

Philly Pretzel Factory was recently featured on FOX News 29!

Philly Pretzel Factory was featured on a segment during the FOX News 29 morning newscast on May 19th, 2010. The segment focused on Philly Pretzel Factory's new menu item, the Cheesesteak Pretzel and was made up of members of the news team taste-testing the new product, along with an interview with Philly Pretzel Factory's Vice President of Operations, Marty Ferrill.

Philly Pretzel Factory was recently featured in the Philadelphia Inquirer!

Cheesesteak Pretzel makes official debut today
By Peter Mucha
Inquirer Staff Writer

The marriage of two of Philadelphia's favorite foodstuffs was celebrated today with a lunchtime giveaway at Love Park.

Meet the Cheesesteak Pretzel: a handheld cheesesteak baked inside soft-pretzel dough.

More than 700 were handed out, to mostly positive reviews.

"This stuff is good," said Jermaine Bernard, 33, finishing his first while in line to get a second. The visitor from Los Angeles hoped to try for a third as well.

"Not two thumbs up, but one thumb up," said actuary Derek Eyler, 25, of Abington.

"I would like maybe a little bit more cheese," said real estate manager Mandy Davis, 27, of Center City. While a regular cheesesteak can be a meal, the Cheesesteak Pretzel, she said, was "more snack appropriate."

"It's kind of a strange combination," said victim advocate Kourtney Burris, 24, of South Philadelphia. "It's straight-up Philly, that's what it is."

The folks at the Philly Pretzel Factory introduced the Cheesesteak Pretzels this morning at almost every one of its more than 100 stores between New York State and Georgia.

Philly Pretzel Factory was recently featured on CW Philly!

Philly Pretzel Factory was featured on a segment during CW Philly's morning newscast on May 17th, 2010. This segment focused on Philly Pretzel Factory's new menu item, the Cheesesteak Pretzel. The segment was made up of members of the news team taste-testing the new product, along with an interview with Philly Pretzel Factory's Vice President of Operations, Marty Ferrill.

Below is a link to the video:

http://cbs3.com/video/?id=103038@kyw.dayport.com

Philly Pretzel Factory was just featured in City Paper!

This Is Happening: The Philly Cheesesteak Pretzel

Friday, May 14th, 2010 at 1:06 pm
posted by Drew Lazor

This coming Monday, May 17, all 100+ Philly Pretzel Factory locations are launching this thing. It is a cheesesteak stuffed inside a soft pretzel. It is called the “Cheesesteak Pretzel.” There’s not much more to say other than that on May 24, all PPFs will give them out for free from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. That’s about a week and a half from now, which leaves you plenty of time to think about how this is going to change your life. (Read More)