Philly Pretzel Factory fanatics are a common sight in the City of Brotherly Love, but the Home of the Real Soft Pretzel is ready to take the show on the road with the help of newly appointed chief development officer Tom Monaghan. The role was created specifically for Monaghan who plans to expand the brand’s already impressive reach further throughout the United States and even internationally.
Monaghan officially came on board with Philly Pretzel Factory on March 16, bringing with him 25 years of franchise experience.
“The role of chief development officer entails world domination by Philly Pretzel Factory,” Monaghan says with a laugh. “My job is to help the brand significantly grow the number of outlets domestically in the short term and globally in the long term.”
“He has literally spent his entire life in franchising,” says Dan DiZio, CEO and cofounder of Philly Pretzel Factory. “He grew up the son of a franchisee and spent the last 25 years working for four other national franchise brands in various capacities, from operations and marketing to franchise development and executive leadership.”
Another important note is that Monaghan is a born and bred Philly guy with a deep connection to the Philly Pretzel Factory brand.
“I was raised on Philly Pretzels, and for the 18 years they’ve been around, I’ve been a raving fan and customer of the brand,” he says. “To say that I am excited to work for a brand I am so passionate about is an understatement.”
Monaghan has hit the ground running in his new role and is already well underway transforming Philly Pretzel Factory into a premier national and international brand. The brand currently has 148 open locations across 10 states, with another dozen under development.
“The last few years has seen about 20 openings each year,” Monaghan says. “I believe that with the right processes and programs in place, we can see ourselves double, triple, or even quadruple that expansion on an annual basis.”
However, Monaghan knows the true key to successful expansion lies with the franchisees.
“The process of a successful franchise development strategy is about the recruitment of great franchise partners, not just adding locations,” he says. “We’re going to go out and try to find the best franchise partners first, regardless of location. The franchisee search comes before the location search.”
Monaghan knows that Philly Pretzel Factory’s superior product can succeed anywhere: The trick is ensuring the right franchisee can take the reins and spread the brand in their local area.
Philly Pretzel’s new chief development officer is also excited to explore more unique location models that the brand has been experimenting with for the past few years.
“We have really evolved our model from traditional location bakeries to more nontraditional locations, with sites at airports, zoos, and amusement parks,” DiZio says. “This strategy has laid the groundwork for Tom to be able to use the variety of options to match the right franchisee for these unique opportunities.”
