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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