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 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.)

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