Broomall's Philly Pretzel Factory On 'Undercover Boss'?

BROOMALL–Remember that arrived in last December and was spotted at the and the along West Chester Pike?

That mystery may be solved.

Although Gary Nolan, co-owner of Broomall's Philly Pretzel Factory, was tight-lipped about the filming that had occurred last year, an employee at the Broomall branch confirmed on Thursday that the location will be featured on CBS’ hit reality show Undercover Boss on Friday, April 27, at 8 p.m.

Dan DiZio, CEO and co-founder of Philly Pretzel Factory, has been picked to appear on Undercover Boss. On the show, DiZio leaves his corner office at the Philly Pretzel Factory headquarters and goes to work within several locations, in disguise, on a mission to improve the brand, working side-by-side with the pretzel makers and management, according to a press release.

According to a press release, at the tender age of 11, DiZio rode his bike to the corner of Southampton and the Boulevard to sell his own pretzel concoction in Philly. The young entrepreneur would sell 1,000 pretzels a day at five for $1. After giving a cut to the supplier, DiZio would pocket $100.

DiZio eventually teamed up with college friend Len Lehman in 1998 to create the first blueprint of the Philly Pretzel Factory. Today, the brand has grown from a single location in the Mayfair section of Philadelphia to a 100-plus-unit franchise with its eyes set on adding 10 to 20 more locations in 2012.

“Our founder’s principal of giving our customers great Philly-based tasting treats has caught on nationally. With an incredible following, we are positioned for steady growth throughout this year,” said Marty Ferrill, president of Philly Pretzel Factory, in a press release.

On the show, DiZio will take on four different jobs: working as a franchisee, an assistant manager, delivery person, and a mascot.

View photos from the filming of the show here.

According to CBS, Undercover Boss follows a different executive each week as they leave the comfort of their corner office for an undercover mission to examine the inner workings of their companies. While working alongside their employees, they see the effects that their decisions have on others, where the problems lie within their organizations and get an up-close look at both the good and the bad while discovering the unsung heroes who make their companies run.