It's a Pretzel Party: Philly Pretzel Factory Celebrates National Pretzel Day

Whoever said there is "no such thing as a free lunch" will eat their words on Saturday, April 26th when Philly Pretzel Factory gives away a free pretzel to every single 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," said Dan DiZio, CEO and co-founder 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 embraces National Pretzel Day as a fun celebration to give back to the communities who truly love their products. Franchisees nationwide have been preparing for the day for weeks, and have already successfully garnered a great following from their 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 said. "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 long 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 delights. 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 in Mayfair 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 with only the freshest ingredients and is twisted by hand, promising customers the highest level of quality and authenticity.

For more information, visit: https://www.facebook.com/PhillyPretzel.

ABOUT PHILLY PRETZEL
Philly Pretzel Factory was founded in 1998 by college buddies Dan DiZio and Len Lehman who created a recipe unique to Philly, yet desired in any market. Today, the award-winning pretzel feeds customers at more than 100 franchised locations, primarily in the Northeast. For more information on Philly Pretzel Factory, visit http://www.phillypretzelfactory.com.

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