On Saturday, April 26, Philly Pretzel Factory will give away a free pretzel to every guest who enters one of the 135 franchised stores in celebration of National Pretzel Day.
“The entire Philly Pretzel Factory franchise system and our customers look forward to National Pretzel Day every year as the biggest and best day of the year,” says Dan DiZio, CEO and cofounder of Philly Pretzel Factory. “We love treating our customers to a free pretzel all day because we think it is important to show them how valued they are to us and to let them know we wouldn’t be where we are today as the best Philly style pretzel bakery that exists without their continued devotion to our brand.”
For seven years, Philly Pretzel Factory has embraced National Pretzel Day as a fun celebration to give back to the communities who love its products. Franchisees nationwide have been preparing for the day for weeks and have garnered a following from local neighborhoods. Social media sites like Facebook and Twitter have been a big element in promoting the national holiday, and many fans have turned to these platforms to interact with the brand on a more personal level.
“Much of the success and popularity for National Pretzel Day stems from our social media outlets, where fans have gathered to share stories, post photos, and extend their in-store experience,” DiZio says. “We’re 85,000-plus fans strong and continuously growing—I’m looking forward to witnessing the event in-store and online to see all our fans celebrating together.”
National Pretzel Day was founded in 1983 when Philadelphia Rep. Robert S. Walker declared his favorite food was deserving of its own holiday. In April of 2003, Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell declared April 26 National Pretzel Day to honor and recognize the importance of the German treat in the state’s history.
During the time of the first declaration, but long before Philly Pretzel Factory was built, DiZio already had the talent and flair for selling the doughy food. At the age of 11, DiZio would ride his bike to the corner of Southampton and Boulevard to sell his own pretzel creations in downtown Philadelphia. The young entrepreneur would sell five pretzels for $1, averaging a total sale of 1,000 pretzels per day. After giving a cut to the supplier, DiZio would pocket $100 and ride home.
Hoping to turn his corner pretzel stand into a bigger operation, DiZio partnered with college buddy Len Lehman in 1998 to create the first Philly Pretzel Factory blueprint. Since then, the brand has grown from a single location to a 135-plus-unit franchise with plans of opening 40 to 50 more locations in 2014 in Walmart locations in addition to the traditional storefront.
Philly Pretzel Factory’s motto, “Hot Outta the Oven,” ensures that each pretzel is enjoyably soft and satisfying, just as the original Philadelphia bakers had intended. Every pretzel is made from scratch and is twisted by hand, giving customers quality and authenticity.
