On National Pretzel Day (Tuesday, April 26), pretzel lovers from across the country gathered at Ben’s Soft Pretzels, an Amish-inspired soft pretzel franchise, to redeem a free pretzel in exchange for a $1 donation to the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund (IFHF). With a goal to beat last year’s inaugural Pretzel Day donation of $15,000, the soft pretzel bakery rounded out the pretzel holiday with 20,000 free pretzels distributed and a grand donation total of $30,000 raised in one day.
As part of Ben’s Soft Pretzels dedication to working alongside IFHP, a nonprofit organization that provides support to United States military personnel and their families, executives made a special trip to the Intrepid Sea, Air, and Space Museum in New York City on National Pretzel Day to show their appreciation. Extending the life of the charitable program, Ben’s Soft Pretzels also raises funds for IFHF in October for National Pretzel Month.
“We love celebrating National Pretzel Day every year and it makes the holiday that much more meaningful when we know we are contributing to a great cause,” says Scott Jones, CEO and cofounder of Ben’s Soft Pretzels. “The participation we saw this year from customers was astonishing. Every free pretzel provided that day allowed another person to say that they supported our veterans through Intrepid Fallen Heroes and that’s a great feeling.”
There are currently 62 Ben's Soft Pretzels bakery locations in six states including Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Alabama, and Florida. Ben's Soft Pretzels master lease and license agreement with retail giants, Walmart, and Meijer, allow for franchise partners to open bakeries in high-traffic areas. Looking ahead, more than 20 new Ben's Soft Pretzels locations are in development for 2016.