When I started Hannah's in 2004 I didn't just want to open a food shop. My objective was quite simple, I wanted to show that fast casual, tasty and healthy are not mutually exclusive. That modern doesn't mean losing our traditions. A simple and straight forward concept that is based on fresh, organic ingredients, whole grain nutrition and strong environmental business practices served in a modern and friendly environment.
It also helped that I always had a passion for food and cooking. Fresh and tasty food brings fun and pleasure to family and friends, whether it is lunch, or a dinner party or leisurely Sunday brunch, food brings us together. I attribute my closeness to food to my childhood in Stuttgart and in the fields around our family's farmhouse in Bavaria, where I joined the local farmers in the fields during summer to harvest potatoes, carrots, corn, apples, plums, pears or simply to tend to the cows, sheep or those lovely pigs. And of course to the many hours I spend in the kitchen with my mother, cooking and tasting and tasting some more. It is there that I learned that unless it is fresh it can't be good and that the seasons dictate what is on the plate.
More importantly food is 'the' source for a healthy and fulfilling life. The industrial revolution of the early 20th century enabled us to enjoy a steady food supply and food in abundance. It also brought us industrial farming. Ever growing farms and farming companies put pressure on small family farms and the pursuit of profits put increasing pressure on productivity. We as a society lost touch with nature, food no longer came from nature it came from the supermarket.
The organic and environmental movement of the late 1980s and early 1990s is a long overdue effort to bring us back to nature, to respect and work with it instead of dominating it. Even a field needs a break from time to time. Crop rotation and chemical free farming methods are what will ensure that our food is not only tasty, but more importantly provides us with the nutrients we need to live better and be more healthy.
It is based on this belief that I opened Hannah's. Our primary concern is not profits, it is doing the right thing; for our customers with the fresh and clean ingredients we use and our tasty foods we provide, for the environment with the materials we use and the vendors we work with, for our vendors with our support, for our community with our active participation and for our team by providing a healthy, steady and stimulating working environment. I call these socially responsible businesses that work with authenticity, integrity and transparency.
My thanks go to our many customers who over the years have supported us. We greatly value your loyalty and continued support and we look forward to serving you now and into the future.
Good feedback. Bad feedback. I want to hear from you. Feel free to email me at fpfahler@hannahsbretzel.com with any thoughts, ideas or suggestions. Many thanks in advance for your time and effort, I greatly appreciate it.
Florian Pfahler
Founder
Hannah's Bretzel LLC