10 Questions with York City Pretzel Company of York, PA

But why York, and why pretzels? On our recent York Dish Trip, we tapped the shop’s co-owner and mover-and-shaker Philip Given about his crowd-pleasing concept, uncovered why his “pretzel ninja” deserves celebrity status and even snagged the scoop on his coming-soon second location.

PA Eats: Why pretzels?

Philip Given: Being from Central Pennsylvania, pretzels are a huge part of our culture. We recognized that there was a hole in the market for an authentic German-style soft pretzel and that’s what we sought to create.

Why York City?

We are all incredibly passionate about the York City community. We knew from the start that this is where we belonged. Everything from uncovering the original floors of the building (which dates to 1909) to extending our hours to seven days a week is because of our love of this town. We mean it when we say it is our favorite place to be.

Are there other company owners/crucial team members, and what are their roles?

There are five owners of the business. We’ve all got diverse backgrounds but came together to make this company what it is today. Day to day at the shop we couldn’t do it without Matt, our front of house manager, and Evan, our head baker/pretzel ninja.

I personally couldn’t have made it through opening and operating the shop without my parents, who graciously work the shop on weekends after they’re done their full-time jobs.

Tell us about the “Pretzel Ninja.” How did you find him, what makes him the “Pretzel Ninja” and why is he a crucial team member?

Evan came to us after some initial articles were written about our business. He has been a pretzel baker in Central Pennsylvania for 10 years and is absolutely incredible at the craft.

In your opinion, what makes your “true Bavarian pretzels” better (or different) than traditional Dutch or Philly pretzels?

We knew from the beginning what we wanted our pretzel to look and taste like. Soft but just firm enough on the tooth, airy and perfect for dipping, thin enough on the arms and fat enough on the bottom to create textural differences. It’s the perfect soft pretzel in my mind. We use a traditional recipe (flour, water, yeast, butter, brown sugar, salt) and dip the pretzel in lye right before baking. The lye gives the bread that signature glossy brown “pretzel look.”

Mustard or cheese?

Why not both? Seriously, when they’re that good. Both.

You proudly serve Sprecher root beer. Why this brand? What make it so special, and why is it such a great pairing with your pretzels?

There is nothing like Sprecher Root Beer. Sprecher Brewery is loved by root beer fans and non-root beer fans alike. We serve ours straight from the tap. You’ve got to experience it in-shop. It’s just sweet enough to contrast with the sharpness of our pretzels and mustard, making them perfect mates.

What other products do you have in addition to your famous pretzels, and where can we buy them?

We’re launching our seasoned hard pretzel pieces the end of this month (as soon as packaging comes in). You won’t find another hard pretzel like it on the shelf. We hope to start distributing outside of Central PA by the end of the year.

Recipe for cheese sauce: Can you give us any insight into how we could get close to re-creating this tasty condiment at home?

The famous cheese sauce. Start with a cheese that melts really well—Cooper-American cheese works great. Add a can of your favorite amber ale or IPA. (We use Liquid Hero’s American Hero. They’re our favorite local brewery and make killer beer.) Add a bit of black pepper, fresh garlic and dry mustard. Call it a day!