Philly Pretzel Factory featured in the Central Penn Business Journal

Philly Pretzel Factory was recently featured CPBJ.com in an article titled, "Philly Pretzel Factory planning Central Pa. growth."  The article discusses the success of Philly Pretzel referring to the franchise growth in 2007  and 2008 and how it plans on expanding with 10 new locations in 2012.  Click here for the entire article or see below.

Philly Pretzel planning Central Pa. growth
By: Jason Scott

With locations already on the East and West shores as well as Lancaster, the popular Philly Pretzel Factory franchise could soon be adding stores in Central Pennsylvania.

“We could easily add a few more stores in the Harrisburg general area,” said President Marty Ferrill.

The pretzel maker has 119 stores — nearly 70 in Pennsylvania, including three in the midstate — and operates in eight states. The goal is 10 new locations in 2012, Ferrill said.

“It’s not like it was,” he said, referring to the franchise growth in 2007 and 2008 when the company added about 75 stores.

Founded in 1998, Philly Pretzel Factory has begun building smaller-scale factory locations to reflect changes in the marketplace and jumpstart expansion. The new-look locations are about 300 to 400 square feet and cost about $125,000 for franchise owners, Ferrill said.

The traditional factory locations are about 1,200 square feet and cost about $250,000, he said. Many are freestanding locations in strip mall shopping centers.

The kiosk model is designed for smaller mall spaces and entertainment venues. The company has opened locations at Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom in the Lehigh Valley and at the Philadelphia Zoo.

(Read More)

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.

(READ MORE)

Philly Pretzel Factory Featured in Times of Trenton

The Times of Trenton just published an article called “They’re making a new kind of dough” about the Philly Pretzel Factory location in Ewing! The story discusses how Mark and Karen Cooper, the franchisees of that location, have ingrained their Philly Pretzel Factory location within the Ewing community and their recent expansion to Flemington. Part of the story is below and a link to the full story is here.

They're making a new kind of dough
By Matt Connolly

After years in the corporate world, Mark Cooper and his wife, Karen, decided to quit their well-paying but stressful jobs to make a new kind of dough.
"We got tired of the corporate grind," said Mark. "It seemed like a good time to look for something new."

The two Cherry Hill residents eventually decided to open a Philly Pretzel Factory location in Ewing. Mark said the pair wanted to work together, having not seen each other enough because of the time demands of their previous jobs, and also wanted to engage with customers.

"It's not easy, but it's far more rewarding," he said. "There's a lot of fun things you can do with pretzels."

From the beginning, the Coopers knew that community involvement was key to attracting customers. Before the store even opened in October 2007, they were out selling pretzels in the soccer fields behind the Parkway Avenue location.

"During soccer season it's a huge gathering place for the community," Mark said.

To view the full article click here.

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.