Philadelphia Coming to Town in Pretzel Form

Hackettstown is about to get a famous taste from the City of Brotherly Love.

This fall Philadelphia Soft Pretzel Factory will open at 150 Mountain Avenue, in the corner retail space between the dry cleaners and Hot Bagels Abroad.

“We think Hackettstown is a good area for us (to open),” said company President Marty Ferrill. “We like to go into communities that are tight-knit and become involved. We want to be part of the community.”

The franchise-based company now has 119 locations in eight states, from as far north as upstate New York to as far south as North Carolina.

Philadelphia Soft Pretzel Factory opened its first location in May of 1998 in the Mayfair section of its namesake city.

But the Hackettstown location will be the first of its kind in the region. The closest locations are in Hillsborough and Flemington, more than 30 miles away.

The Hackettstown store will offer a full menu, Ferrill said, which includes party trays and custom pretzels to go along with the company’s famous dipping sauces.

Signs for the business have been posted in the windows for a couple of months, but an exact date of opening is yet to be determined.

“Normal construction delays have slowed us a bit,” Ferrill said, “but we’re expecting to open in four-to-six weeks.