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Our History

The first Hannah’s Bretzel opened in Chicago’s Loop back in 2005, inspired by founder Florian Pfahler’s hometown of Stuttgart, Germany. Our roots are German, our flavors are global, and our food is proudly made in Chicago!

Learn more where we started and what moves us.

Did you know?

At Hannah’s, we combined the German word brezel [from the Latin word bracchiola, meaning “little arms”] with the American spelling of pretzel to emphasize the bread-like qualities of our flagship product and as a nod to its German origins.

About our Mark

The logo for Hannah’s Bretzel is inspired by the traditional mark of the Zentralverband des Deutschen Bäckerhandwerks (or German baker’s trade, for short). In fact, bread is so entrenched in German life that “German bread culture” is formally recognized on the list of Intangible Cultural Heritage by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)

Did you know?

We’ve been a step ahead of the eco-friendly game since the very beginning, and are always looking to lighten our environmental footprint as much as possible.

Check out our initiatives in support of a better, healthier environment include responsible sourcing, sustainability, and minimizing pollution and carbon emissions.

Europe via theMidwest

There's a world of good in the food you're eating - incorporating adventurous European flavors with ethically sourced ingredients from local, independently owned farms.

A TIMELINE OF OUR PROGRESS

2005
Food Ethics

Hannah’s Bretzel is the first restaurant in Chicago to offer organic bread + organic hot and bottled beverages.

Sandwich 2
2005
Low Emissions

Introduced the low-emission
 Mini Cooper for catering deliveries

Cooper
2006
Sustainability

Hannah’s introduces 100% biodegradable bowls and cups.

Salad 1
2006
Zero Emissions

Introduction of the first Hannah’s Brezel delivery bicycle (long before that became big business) - biking is 100% pollution-free!

Bike
2007
Waste reduction

Eliminated ALL plastic bags 
from our operation.

Made-Bag
2007
Energy

First to build a retail location based off of LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Standards.

2008
Green Awareness

First food retailer to be honored with the Chicago Magazine Green Award.

2008
Synergy

Hannahs Bretzel became a founding member of the Green Chicago Restaurant Co-op.

2008
More Waste reduction
  • Switched to 100%, 95% post consumer paper bags.
  • 80% of all our packaging becomes biodegradable.
Made-Bag
2009
Organic Commitment

First to commit to an all-organic pastry, dessert, and fruit offerings.

2009
Go Local

Hannah’s Bretzel switch to have all sandwich bags printed locally in Illinois.

Made-Bag
2010
Food Awareness

First to display calorie counts on menu boards and printed menus.

Sandwich 2
2010
Waste Reduction

99% of all packaging used is 100% biodegradable or recyclable.

Made-Bag
2010
Better Food

First to commit to certified organic turkey, grass-fed beef, and tofu.

Node-Cow-Icon_grey
2010
It's Official

Recognized by Green Restaurant Association as a Certified Green Restaurant®.

2011
Clean Energy

Convert to 100% green energy supply (wind + solar) for electricity at all stores.

2018
Waste Reduction

In-store composting to close the waste cycle.

2022
Clean Energy

Rolled out our all-electric, zero-emission Mini Cooper SE for deliveries.

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NEED SUPPORT?

We understand that getting the right answers to your questions or making changes to existing orders can sometimes be a bit tricky. While we’ve explored various tools, including AI-driven options, we’ve found that the tried-and-true method of email remains the most efficient and reliable way to connect with us. Using email ensures that your requests are handled with care and promptly.

Thank you!

Contact us Here