
Pretzels, like scrapple, hoagies and all the other Philly classics, hold a special place in our hearts. So, when we found out that today is National Pretzel Day, we had a moment. It gets even better. The folks at Philly Pretzel Factory are celebrating by handing out free soft pretzels all day at all local locations. (The first 100 people get a card guaranteeing free pretzels for the month of May.) We spoke to PPF president, Marty Ferill, about the soft pretzel and what the future holds for this delicious snack.
The soft pretzel is an iconic Philly/Tri-State food. Why do you think the pretzel has such staying power?
The pretzel tradition in Philadelphia is traced back to early 20th century with the influx of German/Dutch Immigrants. The pretzel is a staple in Philadelphia because of the tradition for using high quality ingredients to make a simple product taste good. In Philadelphia pretzels are a part of your everyday life, pretzels are at most family functions, little league games, sporting events anytime you have any type of social gathering you can expect that you will see pretzels at the event.
What goes into making a soft pretzel?
Flour, water, yeast, dough conditioner, and Love.
Philly Pretzel Factory has a 100+ locations through the area. You’ve created an ideal small business model in several communities. How do you think PPF gives back to those communities?
The majority of our stores are owned by franchisees that live in the community where their store is located. They get involved with all of the local fundraising opportunities through the local schools, parent associations and little league sports teams to help raise money.
What does the future hold for your business? Any new pretzel flavors in the works?
There are some big things that are going to hit this summer. We will reach out to Phoodie and make sure you are ahead of the curve.
Move fast. Free pretzels don’t stick around in Philadelphia.
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