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Robert traveled all around the East Coast before returning to Revere, his hometown.&nbsp;Whether he was in Rhode Island or Boston, Robert always knew where his favorite pretzel was. Philly.

Robert opened&nbsp;Massachusetts&rsquo; first ever Philly Pretzel Factory location in Revere, where the local community is now able to get a taste of his favorite East Coast treat.

Tell us a little bit about your background.

I grew up in Revere and went to Johnson &amp; Wales University in Providence R.I. &nbsp;After Graduating with my Culinary Arts, I headed to Lake Tahoe and then finally moved to Philly in the mid-80s.

I moved back to Boston for a few years in 1991 and ran a hotel and several restaurants for four years. After moving back to Pennsylvania in 1994, I ran a large convention center hotel for 16 years and then a few small restaurants until I finally moved back to Boston for good in 2014. &nbsp;I kept telling my wife we would make a killing with a Philly Pretzel Factory Franchise in Boston. I ran across an ad for the PPF brand and we started the franchising process. Now we&rsquo;re just looking for the best location on the North shore. I loved pretzels when I lived in Philadelphia; they are definitely the best in the country.

What were your perceptions of franchising before starting the process?&nbsp;

I really didn&rsquo;t have a clue. I worked for one franchise and I knew some friends that were with different franchises, but I didn&rsquo;t have an idea what it would be like to have one of my own. I knew that there were guidelines to follow. The brand perfected a process and showed you exactly why they are successful. When I hear about people straying away from the way they do things, I always think, &ldquo;Why would you do that?&rdquo; They perfected it for a reason. A franchise is great because they handle most of the leg work for you, freeing myself to concentrate on other areas of the business.

Are you involved with any charitable organizations?

I will be very excited to support several different local organizations, whether it&rsquo;s a little league baseball or basketball team, a walk for cancer or a drive to end homelessness in my State.

Franchisee Voices: Robert Gesek of Philly Pretzel Factory

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Franchisee Robert Gesek opened the first Philly Pretzel Factory in his hometown.  

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