Philly Pretzel Factory featured in Reading Eagle

Philly Pretzel Factory was recently featured in the Reading Eagle in Reading, PA for the newest location opening in West Lawn. Local owners, Paula Wenger and James Lake along with President Marty Ferrill shared the background of the company and the multi-unit owners expansion in Pennsylvania. Wenger and Lake are a bother sister duo that have opened three locations since first getting into the franchise in 2007 when they opened in Muhlenberg. Ferrill discussed the opportunity for multi-unit owners to get into the quickly growing brand, the ability to operate multiple locations and still be able to pursue another career.

Here is a link to the full article online.

Three partners are growing their Philly Pretzel Factory franchise
By David A. Kostival Reading Eagle correspondent (Photo credit below)
(Photo Credit) Madison Poticher, left, 18, of Mohnton, and co-owner Paula Wenger twist pretzels at the Philadelphia Pretzel Factory in West Lawn. The store is the second for Wenger and her two partners, who also run the store in Muhlenberg Township. The Philly Pretzel Factory has been around since 1998. And James Lake was there at the start. Kind of. Lake, 41 of Spring Township, co-owns two stores in Berks County. Back in the day, he attended college at East Stroudsburg University with company founders Lenny Lehman and Dan DiZio. "In 1997 Len told me that he and Dan were going to purchase an oven and open a pretzel bakery," Lake said. Then in 2006 he met up with DiZio at college homecoming weekend. By that time, Philly Pretzel Factory had grown to about 35 stores, and DiZio told Lake the company wanted to move into the Reading area. That started the wheels turning for Lake, his sister Paula Wenger, 44, and her husband, Andy Wenger, 44, both of Spring Township. One problem: All three were busy with full-time jobs. Lake and Andy Wenger work in law enforcement, and Paula Wenger is a middle school teacher in the Wilson School District. Paula said when all three went home to Bucks County for Thanksgiving in 2006 they decided to visit some Philly Pretzel Factory stores. "We went to visit four stores on Black Friday and just sat there and watched as people went in and out," she said. "We immediately knew this was too good of an opportunity to pass up." In July 2007, the trio opened a store on the Fifth Street Highway in Muhlenberg Township. Their original plan was to open one in Spring Township, but at the time another franchise owner had claimed a right of first refusal on that territory. The business was slow at first, but as more people tried the pretzels, business picked up and the location became successful. (To continue reading article, click here) Reading Eagle: Bill Uhrich  Full Article: http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=491928

Philly Pretzel Factory featured in QSR

Philly Pretzel Factory was featured in an article in QSR titled, “Honey, I Shrunk the Store.” The article was built from interviews with Marty Ferrill and franchisee Dave Grimaldi discussing the new kiosk option launched by Philly Pretzel Factory. Dave was the first of the existing franchisees to purchase the new model and has plans to open in it Franklin Mills Mall in Philadelphia. Marty discusses the decision to finally launch the kiosk to reach a greater number of potential customers and open in more heavy traffic areas. In addition, the new model also allows entrepreneurs to open the kiosks more quickly and only cost about $100,000 for the build-out. Click here to read the full article, or begin reading below.

Honey, I Shrunk the Store
By John Morell

One concept hopes an inexpensive, portable kiosk will jumpstart expansion.

As the U.S. economy shows signs of new growth in 2012, many quick serves are cautiously looking at expansion plans to see if they can jumpstart the growth that stalled with the recession.

Some franchise concepts are banking on the fact that cheaper, smaller footprints might be more attractive to potential franchisees in this rocky lending environment. One in particular, Philly Pretzel Factory, is hoping a new kiosk offering will draw new franchise partners and excite its existing franchisee base.

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Philly Pretzel Factory featured in Nation's Restaurant News

Philly Pretzel Factory was featured in an article in Nation’s Restaurant News titled, “Growth Concepts: Restaurant executives share franchising, growth strategies.” The article had a section built from Philly Pretzel Factory COO, Marty Ferrill, who discussed how the brand poised themselves for growth over 2012 and the coming years with a goal to open 25 locations this year. Philly Pretzel Factory just launched its new kiosk prototype to help new and existing franchisees open more quickly at a lower investment cost in malls, theme parks and transportation stations. With the kiosk costing just half of the traditional build-out, this now offers qualified franchisees the opportunity to open their Philly Pretzel Factory without having to looking for large business loans and makes it easier to secure financing. Click here to view the full article, or begin reading Philly Pretzel Factory's section below.

Growth concepts: Restaurant executives share franchising, growth strategies
by Mark Brandau

Marty Ferrill, chief operating officer, Philly Pretzel Factory
System size: 122 units
Growth targets: 25 openings this year, agreements for 25 more
Source for optimism: Small-footprint kiosk prototype

Our normal investment for a full bakery is typically $250,000 to $275,000 all in, and we were running into some challenges financing that. So we shrunk everything, from our ovens to our mixers, and made the footprint smaller, from about 1,400 square feet into a kiosk as small as 300 to 400 square feet. It’s a dramatic decrease in rent and build-out costs; people are now looking at a total investment of $125,000 including the franchise fee.


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Philly Pretzel Factory featured in Monroeville Times-Express

Philly Pretzel Factory was featured in the Monroeville Times-Express in an article titled “Local businessman to open pretzel shop." In the article, it talked about how Joe’s background in franchising and the success he has experienced working with major brands. Joe discussed his plans for growth of Philly Pretzel Factory in the area, and how he and his brother plan to expand further throughout the greater Pittsburgh area. The article also included some quotes from Marty Ferrill about his excitement for the Kallen brothers to do great things for the brand in the market, especially since Pittsburgh is as far west as the brand has gone. Click here to view the article or begin reading below.

Local businessman to open pretzel shop
By Karen Kadilak

The Philly Pretzel Factory store opening Friday at 3968 William Penn Highway in Monroeville is the latest in a string of businesses for Joe Kallen.

Kallen, 34, has owned franchises with three companies.

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Philly Pretzel Factory featured on Central Pennsylvania Business Journal

Philly Pretzel Factory was mentioned in the Central Pennsylvania Business Journal in an article titled, "Shop local for last-minute foodie V-Day gifts," for its heart shaped pretzels. The article disucssed ideas for Valentine's Day and gives residents ideas about where to buy fun, local gifts for the holiday and include the Philly Pretzel locations in Camp Hill, Harrisburg and Lititz. The heart-shaped pretzels will only be avaliable through Valentine's Day. Click here to read more, or begin reading below.

Shop local for last-minute foodie V-Day gifts
by Erica Streisfeld

To all the procrastinators out there, I'm here to save your Valentine's Day.

No, I'm not Cupid.

But I will share a few last-minute gift ideas that might score some points with that special someone. The rest is up to you!

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Philly Pretzel Factory freatured in Hillsborough Patch

Hillsborough Patch reporter Eileen Oldfield got in touch with new Hillsborough Philly Pretzel franchisee Frank Calu on his first day of work which happened to fall at a time when community residents are picking up the pieces from Hurricane Irene. That didn’t stop Frank Calu though as he took to the streets to help his fellow neighbors in good faith and passed out pretzels to those on route 206. A portion of the article is below and can be read in its entirety by clicking here.

Business Owner Offers Treat for Drivers Stranded on 206

Cars stretched along Route 206 Monday and Tuesday, as flooded roads and other hurricane-related damages closed most back roads to normal traffic.

For Philly Pretzel Factory owner Frank Calu, the solution to a two-hour wait time misery was pretzels.

“We just saw everybody sitting there, looking miserable,” Calu said. “We said, why not make everybody’s day a little better with a little food in their belly.”

As a result, Calu spent Monday handing out 100 individually-wrapped pretzels from his shop at no charge to motorists. He continued his efforts Tuesday, with the assistance of company mascot Phill-E, and handed out 160 pretzels that day.

“Most people didn’t want to roll down their windows at first, because they thought they had to pay for them,” Calu said. “But people were very receptive and thankful, especially those with kids.”

It’s only Calu’s first week as owner of the Hillsborough shop, having just purchased the franchise from the previous owner—and Monday was his first day at work.

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Philly Pretzel Summer Photo Contest Continues

Philly Pretzel Factory's Annual Summer Photo Contest is in full swing. We've already had a bunch of great submissions but we need more! The rules are simple: take a picture of a friend, family member, yourself or even a lobster enjoying summer with Philly Pretzel Factory, submit it to our Facebook fan page and be entered for a chance to win a $100 Visa Gift Card! The submission period will be open through August 12. After it closes, be sure to check back August 15-26 to vote on the picture you think is the best. Second place will take home a $50 Visa Gift card and EVERYONE who submits an entry will receive a 3 Free Pretzels coupon.

Get out there and show us how much you love summer and Philly Pretzel Factory!

Philly Soft Pretzel Factory featured in BusinessNewsDaily

Philly Soft Pretzel Factory was featured in an article in BusinessNewsDaily entitled, “Groundhog Day: 25 Predictions for Spring’s Small Business,” which published today, February 2, 2011. The article was written by Cynthia Bunting and built from several interviews, including one with Philly Pretzel Factory’s VP of Franchise Development Marty Ferrill, who gets the last word on small business predictions for Spring 2011. Click here to view the full article.

Groundhog Day: 25 Predictions for Spring’s Small Business
By Cynthia Bunting

It’s Groundhog Day, and while Punxsutawney Phil may have a lock on predicting the weather, we think our own readers are best suited to predict what the spring holds for small business.

When the snow melts and the daffodils bloom, business owners will be ready to reinvest, reinvent and redouble their efforts to break new ground, grow and even flourish.

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Philly Pretzel Factory featured in QSR Magazine

QSR Magazine recently published an article called “Who needs a $3M TV Spot When You Have Social Media,” in which Philly Pretzel Factory discusses how it plans to leverage Social Media during the big game! Marty Ferrill says that Philly Pretzel Factory wants to use the big game day as another opportunity to engage with its fans and be right there with them during the game. The pretzel franchise will host game time giveaways to keep fans intrigued during the game. Click here to view the article in its entirety!

Who Needs a $3M TV Spot When You Have Social Media
By SAM OCHES

While some companies will be shelling out as much as $3 million for a 30-second TV spot during Sunday’s Super Bowl, some quick-serve chains plan to ramp up their marketing efforts without even hardly opening their wallets.

Toppers Pizza and Philly Pretzel Factory are two concepts that will leverage social media for their marketing efforts on Super Bowl Sunday, a day for which advertising was once reserved only for billion-dollar brands.

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Philly Pretzel Factory featured in news segment on CBS Philly

Philly Pretzel Factory was recently featured on CBS Philly in a news segment showing Philly Pretzel Factory's new Buffalo Chicken Pretzel! Click here to view the video, or click on the link below!

http://bit.ly/g4ccrK

Revolutionary Cheesesteak Pretzel Big Hit; Philly Pretzel Factory Digs Deeper

Launch of Buffalo Chicken Pretzel Kicks Off with Largest Chicken Egg Hunt

The Cheesesteak Pretzel , launched six months ago, has been a huge hit revolutionizing what can be done with the soft pretzel. Since its launch, people have been ordering it for lunch, dinner and even a mid-day snack, and that left Philly Pretzel Factory wondering what else they could to do keep the concept of a Cheesesteak Pretzel fresh and new. The new Buffalo Chicken Pretzel is a continuation of the ever-evolving soft pretzel ingenuity that happens at the Philly Pretzel Factory headquarters.

“Customers rave about the Cheesesteak Pretzel,” said Dan DiZio, CEO and Co-Founder of Philly Pretzel Factory. “We knew we had a hit with our newest invention and believe that offering variety in the form of a Cheesesteak Pretzel would continue to give customers new flavors and experiences at Philly Pretzel Factory, which in turn will keep them coming back.”

Just as the name suggests, the Buffalo Chicken Pretzel is a combination of secret buffalo sauce, mozzarella cheese, and savory chicken stuffed into a pretzel.

To officially launch the Buffalo Chicken Pretzel, Philly Pretzel Factory will hold the nation’s largest chicken egg hunt on Monday, January 31 in Philadelphia. Philly Pretzel Factory fanatics will celebrate the new pretzel creation by dressing in chicken costumes and dancing to the “Chicken Dance” music. The grand prize egg will have $1,000, along with many other prizes awarded, including one for best costume.

The next day, on February 1, all participating locations will sell the Buffalo Chicken Pretzel for the first time. The new menu item also extends the day-part offering by the booming franchise, in that customers can now enjoy the blended perfection for a snack, lunch or dinner. With the success of The Cheesesteak Pretzel, the addition of the buffalo version is expected to be equally as popular and delicious.

“There are more menu extensions than you can imagine with the soft pretzel; all tasty and delicious, which keeps our minds racing constantly,” said DiZio. “We thrive off of the reactions of our customers. Once they taste this new Buffalo Chicken Pretzel, we’re sure it will open to rave reviews.”

Philly Pretzel's newest location in Harrisburg featured on Fox 43

Philly Pretzel Factory was recently featured in a live-on-the-scene four-part segment (adding up to a total of 8 minutes on the air) at the newest Philly Pretzel Factory in Harrisburg! The four segments aired live on Fox 43’s Morning News yesterday morning, and featured new Philly Pretzel Factory owner/operator Steve McDaniel. In the segments, Steve gives a great overview of all the products PPF has to offer, from their award-winning soft pretzels to their Philly Cheesesteak Pretzels to their butter cream dipping sauce! He lets the news anchor, Melanie Gardner, test out the products and then proceeds to show how the pretzels are made, from mixing up the yeast and flour and water to rolling out the dough into PPF’s signature shape. Then, Melanie gets to try her hand at pretzel-rolling and Steve unveils some special customized Fox 43 pretzels made just for the show. Posted below are the four segments which aired live on Fox 43.

Philly Pretzel Factory Featured in York Daily Record

Philly Pretzel Factory was recently featured in the York Daily Record in an article entitled "Former state cop is now 'the pretzel guy' in Windsor Twp." The article features Greg Mitchell, the franchisee of the Windsor Township location. It focuses on his entrepreneurial story in which he was a police officer for 30 years before becoming a Philly Pretzel Factory franchisee. A portion of the article is included below and can be read in its entirety by clicking here.

Former state cop is now 'the pretzel guy' in Windsor Twp.
By Kevin Horan

During his 30 years with the Pennsylvania State Police, first in York and then in Harrisburg, Greg Mitchell noticed that many people feel apprehensive talking with a police officer.

Even his neighbors chose their words carefully around Mitchell, he said. If they discussed going out the previous night, they were quick to add, "I only had one drink." If they said they were speeding, they made sure to include, "it wasn't very fast."

Mitchell retired from the force in 2008 and entered a new line of work.
The apprehension that once marked his day-to-day interactions with the public, he said, is no more.

"Most people know me as 'the pretzel guy' now," he said.

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Philly Pretzel Facotry Featured in Patriot-News

The Patriot News has just published an article called “Philly Pretzel Factory to open in Susquehanna Township.” The article announces the opening of Philly Pretzel Factory’s newest location in Susquehanna Township, which is set to open mid month. It describes the popularity of the nearby store on the West Shore as the reason why the new owners are opening up on the East Shore. Check out the full article here.

Philly Pretzel Factory to open in Susquehanna Township
By Sue Gleiter

The Philly Pretzel Factory draws big crowds at its Hampden Twp. store for the traditional Philadelphia-style pretzels. Now, those living on the East Shore won’t have to drive so far for a pretzel fix.

One is scheduled to open mid-month at 530 N. Progress Ave. in Susquehanna Twp. near the CVS.

Owners are Steve McDaniel, a retired Pennsylvania State Police major and commander, and John Brumbaugh, a Realtor with Long & Foster Realtors. The pair decided to open the franchise after witnessing the popularity of the West Shore shop.

The first Pretzel Factory opened in 1998 in Mayfair, Philadelphia, under the guise everyone would find hot fresh pretzels waiting for them when they walked through the doors. Today there are more than 100 stores along the Eastern Seaboard.

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Philly Pretzel Factory's Twisting for a Cure Featured in the Virginia Gazette

Philly Pretzel Factory was recently featured in an article in the Virginia Gazette entitled, “Pretzels Raise Awareness, Money for Breast Cancer Research." October is not only national pretzel month, but it is also breast cancer awareness month, so all of the Philly Pretzel Factory locations throughout the franchising system have teamed up with the Susan G. Komen Foundation to raise money for a great cause. Last year during their breast cancer awareness month campaign, Philly Pretzel Factory's more than 100 stores raised over $11,000. The goal is to be able to donate at least $20,000 to the Susan G. Komen Foundation this year. This is a great way to awareness for the philanthropic initiative in October and will let consumers know that they can buy pretzel ribbons and some of the proceeds will be donated back to the Foundation. Below is a portion of the article and the article can be read in its entirety by clicking here.

Pretzels raise awareness, money for breast cancer research

During October, Philly Pretzel Factory on Monticello Avenue will sell pretzels shaped as ribbons to raise awareness about breast cancer.

Half 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's more than 100 stores raised over $11,000. The goal is to be able to donate at least $20,000 to the Susan G. Komen Foundation this year.

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Philly Pretzel Factory's Twisting for a Cure Featured in Edison Sentinel

Philly Pretzel Factory was recently featured in an article in the Edison Sentinel entitled, "Pretzel Factory twisting for a cure." October is not only national pretzel month, but it is also breast cancer awareness month, so all of the Philly Pretzel Factory locations throughout the franchising system have teamed up with the Susan G. Komen Foundation to raise money for a great cause. Throughout the month of October, the Philly Pretzel Factory locations will be twisting ribbon shaped pretzels and selling them for $1.00 and 50% of the proceeds will be going toward breast cancer research. This is a great way to awareness for the philanthropic initiative in October and will let consumers know that they can buy pretzel ribbons and some of the proceeds will be donated back to the Foundation.

Pretzel Factory twisting for a cure

EDISON — October is an important month for the Philly Pretzel Factory. Not only is it National Pretzel Month, but it is also Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Rohi Batra, owner of the Philly Pretzel Factory of Edison at 960 Amboy Ave., is committed to twisting for a cure. Throughout the month, the shop 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, he or she will receive a paper pink ribbon to be signed and placed on the Philly Pretzel Factory’s Wall of Fame.

During last October’s campaign, the Philly Pretzel Factory raised over $11,000. Its 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 franchisees’ and staffs’ hearts,” said Dan DiZio, CEO and founder of the Philly Pretzel Factory. “To us, there’s a reason why National Pretzel Month and Breast Cancer Awareness Month are the same month.”

DiZio teamed up with college buddy Len Lehman in 1998 to create the first blueprint of the Philly Pretzel Factory. The brand has grown from a single location in the Mayfair section of Philadelphia to more than 100 franchises.

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Philly Pretzel Factory's Twisting for a Cure Featured in Mooresville Tribune

The Philly Pretzel Factory was recently featured in the Mooresville Tribune in an article entitled, “Sales of special pretzels will help fight breast cancer.” October is not only national pretzel month, but it is also breast cancer awareness month, so all of the Philly Pretzel Factory locations throughout the franchising system have teamed up with the Susan G. Komen Foundation to raise money for a great cause. Throughout the month of October, the Philly Pretzel Factory locations will be twisting ribbon shaped pretzels and selling them for $1.00 and 50% of the proceeds will be going toward breast cancer research. A portion of the article is included below and the article can be read in its entirety by clicking here.

Sales of special pretzels will help fight breast cancer
By Megan Sprague

Customers at the Philly Pretzel Factory in Mooresville can help battle breast cancer when they buy specially-shaped pretzels this month.

The Pretzel Factory, located at 591 River Highway, has teamed with the Susan G. Komen Foundation for the second year in a row to bake ribbon-shaped pretzels for $1 each.

Fifty cents from each purchase will be going to the foundation, and everyone who purchases the ribbon-shaped pretzel will have their name put on a certificate to be displayed in the store.

“We got a great response last year, and it’s very heart-warming to see everyone take part in this,” said owner Gary Heck. “When we opened about two and half years ago, we did our own fundraising for breast cancer, but now the corporation has gotten in on it, and I’m glad to see it’s spreading.”

“I’m glad there are communities out there who care enough to make sure women in their area are receiving awareness, detection and treatment,” said Elaine Grobman, executive director of the Susan G. Komen Foundation, Philadelphia affiliate.

“Especially in this economy, there are women who need our help and you can touch so many lives simply by purchasing a pretzel. Every $100 buys a mammogram, so please step up and help moms, sisters and daughters in your community.”

The store and its employees will also be decked out with pink ribbons, posters and balloons. Over all, $11,000 was raised franchise-wide last year and this year, the goal is $20,000.

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Philly Pretzel Factory's Twisting for a Cure Featured in Phoenixville Times

The Philly Pretzel Factory was recently featured in the Phoenixville Times in an article entitled, “Pottstown Pretzel Locations Twisting for a Cure.” October is not only national pretzel month, but it is also breast cancer awareness month and all of the Philly Pretzel Factory locations throughout the franchising system have teamed up with the Susan G. Komen Foundation to raise money for a great cause. Throughout the month of October, the Philly Pretzel Factory locations will be twisting ribbon shaped pretzels and selling them for $1.00 and 50% of the proceeds will be going toward breast cancer research. A portion of the article is included below and the article can be read in its entirety by clicking here.

Pottstown Pretzel Locations Twisting for a Cure

October is an important month for Philly Pretzel Factory in Pottstown. Not only is it national pretzel month, but it is also breast cancer awareness month and local owner Dave Hurlock is 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.”

(Read More)

Philly Pretzel Factory Featured in the Bridgeville Area News

Philly Pretzel Factory was recently featured in an article in the Bridgeville Area News called “Pretzel logic appears to have worked at pretzel factory,” which published July 22. The article talks about the success of Philly Pretzel Factory’s expansion to the Pittsburgh market with a recently-opened corporate test store in Bridgeville, PA. Dan DiZio was interviewed to discuss why Bridgeville was selected as a point of expansion for Philly Pretzel Factory, how the new location has benefited the brand, and the plan to bring 10 more locations to the area. A portion of the article is included below. To view the full article, click here.

Pretzel logic appears to have worked at pretzel factory
by Dan Sleva

Dan DiZio started selling pretzels on a street corner in a suburb of Philadelphia when he was 11 years old.

Now, his company is selling them throughout the Northeast and is moving into the Pittsburgh market with a corporate test store in Bridgeville.

"We wanted to expand out into Pittsburgh and began driving around," DiZio, president and co-founder of Philly Pretzel Factory, said. "We liked the Bridgeville location because it is a former Dunkin' Donuts that had a drive-through, which is good for the cold Pittsburgh winters."

As a corporate test store, the location at 1150 Washington Pike usually gets new products about three months before most of the company's 125 other locations.

"There are a lot of benefits for us by having the Bridgeville location," DiZio said. "One of those is that is an outer market away from Philly."

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Philly Pretzel Factory Featured in The Trentonian

Franchisees come from many different backgrounds. Mark and Karen Cooper were both white collar workers in corporate America before opening their first Philly Pretzel Factory location in Ewing in 2007. Mark recently spoke with The Trentonian in an article called “Ewing pretzel shop owners to open second location,” which published July 21. The article sheds light onto Mark and Karen's entrepreneurial story, how they stormed the tough economy and how they are now expanding and opening their second location in Flemington. A portion of the article is shared below and you can view the full article from The Trentonian by clicking here.

Ewing pretzel shop owners to open second location
By JOAN GALLER

EWING — Four years ago, Mark and Karen Cooper decided that making money at their respective jobs in corporate America wasn’t enough, they wanted a new twist on life.

Little did they know that their dream of economic independence — as franchise owners of a Philly Pretzel Factory outlet, which they opened in 2007 in Ewing — would materialize just as the nation was plunging into the worst economic recession in half a century.

Yet, this long-married couple from Cherry Hill persevered, weathered the storm and are now poised to expand from their store at 1400 Parkway Ave. to a second location in the Hunterdon County community of Flemington. The official opening is set for Aug. 1.

As Mark tells their story, he and wife Karen, both 49, worked for decades in white collar office jobs: She was an area manager for Wawa, running many stores, and he worked for a company that encrypted data networks.

“We were at a point where money was less important than being together, working together, doing something that was fun and rewarding at same time,” said Mark.

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