Freebies at Philly Pretzel Factory

Add a twist to your Thursday with a free pretzel. Springfield's is celebrating National Pretzel Day by offering a free pretzel to each customer who enters the shop, no purchase necessary.

As an added bonus, the first 100 customers will receive a card that entitles them to a free pretzel every day during the month of May.

“We have an incredible fanatical following. This day is about us having a little fun, giving back and feeding our guest’s need for great taste,” said Dan DiZio in a press release, who is the chief executive officer and co-founder of Philly Pretzel Factory, a 100-plus-unit chain born and raised in Philadelphia.

Founded in 1983, National Pretzel Day was created when U.S. Representative Robert S. Walker, a Pennsylvania Republican, declared his favorite food was deserving of a holiday. In April of 2003, Pennsylvania’s Governor Ed Rendell joined the bandwagon by re-declaring the unofficial national holiday.

Gary Nolan, co-owner of the Springfield, Broomall, Bryn Mawr and Ridley locations, said they've been participating in the Free Pretzel Day event for about five years now.

"It's about thanking customers on our end for their business. The event is really to get others to try our product. The pretzel really speaks for itself. We're hoping that people who have never tasted our product will continue to come back. We want them to choose us as their pretzel people and be a customer for life," Nolan said.

According to Nolan, what makes the pretzels so special is that they are made fresh every morning.

"We make all the pretzels fresh and hot out of the oven every day on site at 4:30 a.m. Nothing is leftover from the previous day," explained Nolan.

On Thursday, the Springfield shop, located at 700 Baltimore Pike, will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Though there's a variety of items on the menu from cinnamon-sugar pretzels to hot dogs wrapped in a pretzel-dough bun, Nolan said he's a "traditional yellow mustard pretzel kind of guy."  

Condiments include four different types of mustard as well as dips, such as cinnamon-sugar, chocolate, butter cream frosting and cheddar cheese. 

The pretzel purveyor said he is happy to by either making a donation or partnering with area parent-teacher-organizations. 

Marty Ferrill, president of Philly Pretzel Factory, said the giveaway is a chance to reward the store's regular customers and also welcome new ones. Ferrill said the recipe is another thing that sets the pretzels apart. 

"The main thing is tradition," Ferrill said in a press release. "Our product is more dense and doughy than what some people think of when they think of a hot pretzel. It's made from a real Pennsylvania Dutch German roots recipes. You taste the difference. I hope everyone will come out and enjoy a free pretzel." 

For more information, visit Philly Pretzel Factory's website or Facebook page, or call the store at 610-544-1143.