Pretzel Purveyor Opens in Hill East on April 21

courtesy of The Pretzel Bakery

Have you ever seen a toddler consume carbs? Well, if left to their own devices, it would be all they ate. My girl will be working every angle she can to get to the corner of 15th and D Streets SE when The Pretzel Bakery opens later this month.

Owner and pretzel baker Sean Haney grew up in Philadelphia, and comes from a family where pretzels were part of family life — cheap, easy and ubiquitous. He calls himself a pretzel addict and started baking his own spin on the American classic several years ago. His family and friends responded  so well to Sean’s recipe that he decided to give the pretzel biz a go, and despite being (presently, at least, he says), found the Hill East location through a friend. The charming dutch door sealed the deal. And when that door swings opens for business, the Pretzel Bakery will sell fresh-out-out-of-the-oven pretzels all day and offer quality mustards and dips. Pretzels will cost $2, or 3 for $5. On opening day, you can sample the goods for $1 a pop as long as supplies last.

The bakery will also feature quality mustards and dips, as well a variety of sodas, including some regional Philadelphia brands found nowhere else in the city. Now I must figure out a way to keep the child unaware of my Boylan’s while keeping carbogirl focused on her sippy cup.

Haney thinks his spot in the neighborhood is a natural match. He anticipates school kids and parents, and the crowds enjoying local playgrounds and athletic fields will have pretzel in hand soon. Something tells me there may be some good tunes spinning as you walk up to the pretzel bar as Haney is a DJ at 18th Street Lounge. His wife is a teacher at the Hill’s own Two Rivers Charter School. I learned all about the project in the hotbed of all neighborhood news, the Lincoln Park slides.

That makes perfect sense in this neighborhood, especially since The Pretzel Bakery will  give special pricing for fundraising activities and catering, as well as selling pretzels wholesale to bars and restaurants.