The art of making pretzels really comes down to a science. It takes dedication, chemistry, and a refusal to compromise the process. And yeah, sometimes that means starting from scratch to get it right. From our shape to our recipe, commitment is how we keep our product consistent, every time. It’s not just about what goes into our pretzels – it’s about how you feel when you eat one…or four! It’s in the memories you make at tailgates, birthday parties, and movie nights – and the happiness you feel when you take the first bite.
Our founder, Dan DiZio, grew up eating pretzels. He started selling soft pretzels in his neighborhood at age eleven, becoming a child entrepreneur with a sales team of kids from all around the town. He missed pretzels when he went away to school, so after graduation Dan partnered with his college buddy Len Lehman to found the original Philly Pretzel Factory location in the Mayfair section of Philadelphia. Dan and Len were inspired by their love for pretzels and experiences with the original Philly-based pretzel bakeries, so it was no surprise that their own pretzels were delicious! They held a deep respect for those founding fathers whose wholesale bakeries in the warehouses in and around Philadelphia fed the locals at all times of days. So opening their first Philly Pretzel Factory as an actual storefront instead of in an industrial space was an experiment, a kind of “why not try this,” between the two. What resulted was a line that never went away, and a fanbase always hungry for more! Now, after more than twenty years of twisting, Philly Pretzel Factory is over 145 stores strong and making things better as we grow into additional states every year.