“When I worked at Leo Burnett, I had to go out for lunch. Every time I went, I thought the options weren’t that attractive,” says Florian Pfahler, explaining where the idea for Hannah’s Bretzel came from. Yeah, we wouldn’t know anything about that feeling. Pfahler, who had been involved with internet startups, decided to do something about it, specifically, he invented a sandwich chain that would serve the quality of meats and other ingredients he saw people like himself shopping at Whole Foods for. Rachel Gillman interviews him for NBC Chicago about his transition from ad guy to sandwich guy, and it’s an interesting piece— he makes it clear that Hannah’s is well thought out from a marketing and concept standpoint, but also that it comes from his genuine desire to bring the European love of quality food to America, and that’s why it’s succeeded as a startup food chain that’s slick but sincere. [NBC Chicago]
