Twisting for a Cure: Philly Pretzel Factory Supports Breast Cancer Awareness Month

October is an important month for Philly Pretzel Factory. Not only is it national pretzel month, but it is also breast cancer awareness month and local owners are committed to twisting for a cure.

During the entire month, Philly Pretzel Factory will sell pretzels shaped as ribbons to raise awareness about the importance of breast cancer awareness. Fifty percent of the proceeds from the pretzel ribbons will be donated to the Susan G. Komen Foundation to help fund breast cancer research. Once a customer buys a signature pretzel ribbon, that customer will receive a paper pink ribbon which they will sign and place on Philly Pretzel Factory’s “Wall of Fame.”

Last year during their breast cancer awareness month campaign, Philly Pretzel Factory raised over $11,000. The goal is to be able to donate at least $20,000 to the Susan G. Komen Foundation this year.

“Breast cancer is one of the most frequently diagnosed cancers today and we feel a profound sense of responsibility to support causes that are so close to our franchisee’s and staff’s hearts,” said Dan DiZio, CEO and Founder of Philly Pretzel Factory. “To us, there’s a reason why National Pretzel Month and Breast Cancer Awareness Month are the same month.”

Dan DiZio teamed up with college buddy Len Lehman in 1998 to create the first blueprint of the Philly Pretzel Factory. Today, the brand has grown from a single location in the Mayfair section of Philadelphia to a 100-plus-unit franchise with its eyes set on adding 10 more locations in 2010.

With its menu strategically priced for any economy, the brand continued to thrive in 2009 and onward through the beginning of 2010, never wavering from its commitment to its customers.

“Our founder’s principal of giving our customers great Philly-based tasting treats has caught on nationally. With an incredible following, we are positioned for steady growth throughout this year,” said Marty Ferrill, VP of Operations.

As the world’s largest Philly-style bakery, Philly Pretzel bakes fresh, delicious soft pretzels delivered to customers “Hot Outta The Oven.” Each pretzel, made from a mix of only the finest pretzel ingredients, is hand twisted to ensure quality and freshness.

Franchisee Profile: Lou Sist of Philly Pretzel Factory Bluffton, SC

Recently we have highlighted some of our Philly Pretzel Factory franchisees. Today the spotlight is on Lou Sist, the franchisee of the Bluffton, SC Philly Pretzel Factory.

Franchise Location: 50 Burnt Church Road, Bluffton, SC 29910


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How Lou Sist Got Started with Philly Pretzel Factory…
Lou’s wife Jennifer grew up in Philadelphia, just two blocks from the original Philly Pretzel Factory location. Although a Detroit native himself, he soon learned of the delicious pretzels made by Philly Pretzel Factory.

What Intrigued Lou Sist about Philly Pretzel Factory…
Lou was amazed by the outstanding quality and value of Philly Pretzel Factory’s products. He says there is nothing else you can buy for so little that will fill you up. In addition to his strong belief in the product, Lou liked the benefits that come with being a Philly Pretzel Factory franchisee, including branding, support and guidance.

Something Interesting about Lou Sist’s Story…
Lou has an amazing life story. He spent seven years in college with the intent of becoming a medical doctor, but in the end decided medical school wasn’t for him. He then opened a tanning salon in Detroit which he ran for 10 years. Ever the entrepreneur, his next venture was a successful floor tiling company. Recently, the rough economy’s affect on the construction market forced him to scale back his enterprise. He decided to open a Philly Pretzel Factory franchise to provide his 6-year-old daughter with future financial stability.

Lou also believes in actively participating in his store and the surrounding community. He puts in 100 hours a week at the Bluffton location and knows many of his customers by name. Lou also sponsors a T-ball and soccer team, as well as providing catering for charity events.

Lou sees great expansion possibilities in the Charleston and Savannah markets. Both feature large quantities of foot traffic and hungry college kids, two factors Lou thinks would make Philly Pretzel Factory locations in those markets a huge success.

Where specifically did Lou Sist learn about Philly Pretzel Factory?
Lou was first introduced to Philly Pretzel Factory as a consumer. He later decided to open a franchise after researching the market and brand.

Franchisee Profile: Francine Petrone, Franchisee of the Lawerenceville, NJ Location

Recently, we have been highlighting our Philly Pretzel Factory Franchisees. Today, we are putting the spotlight on Francine Petrone, franchisee of the Lawerenceville, NJ location.

Franchise Location: 2068 Brunswick Ave, Lawrenceville, NJ 08648


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How Francine Petrone Got Started with Philly Pretzel Factory…
Francine was born and raised in northeast Philadelphia. She remembers Philadelphia soft pretzels being a part of her life as early as her childhood. Growing up and living in the area as an adult, she became familiar with the Philly Pretzel Factory brand as it continued to expand and saturate the area around her. Francine was a loyal Philly Pretzel Factory customer before becoming a franchisee.

What Intrigued Francine Petrone about Philly Pretzel Factory…
Francine was intrigued by the fast expansion and growth of the Philly Pretzel Factory brand. She witnessed firsthand the growth and expansion possibilities in her hometown of Mayfair, Pennsylvania and knew that a location would be successful in Lawrenceville. It only took one talk with Dan DiZio for Francine to realize this was the business for her. She was intrigued by the passion Dan had for the brand and the support that the franchise system offered her. After working as a physical therapist for close to twenty years, she decided to live her entrepreneurial dream and open her location in Lawrenceville in June of 2007 with her husband, Keith.

Something Interesting about Francine Petrone’s Story…
Francine is deeply involved in the community. She regularly hosts “Pretzel Tours” for her location, where local children are allowed to tour the location and learn how to twist their own pretzels. She is also involved in local businesses and schools.
Where specifically did Francine Petrone learn about Philly Pretzel Factory?
Francine was first introduced to Philly Pretzel Factory as a consumer. She was surrounded by the growing brand and witnessed Philly Pretzel Factory’s expansion firsthand in northeast Philadelphia.

Philly Pretzel Factory Featured in Eating Everywhere

Philly Pretzel Factory was recently featured in a great Q&A article about on the Eating Everywhere website. This article that was built from an in-depth interview with Dan DiZio, Len Lehman and Marty Ferrill. It covers all topics that consumers would want to know about Philly Pretzel Factory, including the history, Dan and Len’s entrepreneurial stories, and where the brand is today. Below is a portion of the article and the entire article can viewed by clicking here.

PHILADELPHIA, PA | PHILADELPHIA PRETZEL FACTORY

The Philadelphia Pretzel Factory pretzel is served hot in a brown paper bag and carried across the city.

Hand-twisted to aid plumping in the oven and baked golden brown. Solid, moist, and chewy, the traditional method of preparing the pretzels has kept Philadelphia Pretzel Factory (PPF) a favorite in a city with a strong Pennsylvania-Dutch lineage. The Philadelphian public has grown with these three for $1.50 pretzels, and today they are as common as the birthday cake at parties.

PPF hit the scene in 1998 with an avenue front store across from Philadelphia’s Mayfair Diner in Northeastern Philly. The flagship still stands, bedecked in the green and white checkerboard pattern that has become a PPF trademark, which today has over 100 locations.

It was at this flagship that I had the pleasure of meeting with Company Founders Dan DiZio and Len Lehman, and Vice President of Operations Marty Ferrill, to talk about their pretzels.

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