Our roots are German, our flavors are global, and our food is proudly made in Chicago! Read on about where we started and what moves us.
The first Hannah’s Bretzel opened in Chicago’s Loop back in 2005, inspired by founder Florian Pfahler’s hometown of Stuttgart, Germany.
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.
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)
Our Bretzel namesake, Hannah was three when we opened our first restaurant in 2005.
Hannah is now a teenager and would kill us if she knew we were using this photo.
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.
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.
Introduced the low-emission Mini Cooper for catering deliveries
Hannah’s Bretzel is the first restaurant in Chicago to offer organic bread + organic hot and bottled beverages.
Introduction of the first Hannah’s Brezel delivery bicycle (long before that became big business) - biking is 100% pollution-free!
Hannah’s introduces 100% biodegradable bowls and cups.
Eliminated ALL plastic bags from our operation.
First to build a retail location based off of LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Standards.
First food retailer to be honored with the Chicago Magazine Green Award.
Became a founding member of the Green Chicago Restaurant Co-op.
Switched to 100%, 95% post consumer paper bags.
80% of all our packaging becomes biodegradable.
Hannah’s Bretzel switch to have all sandwich bags printed locally in Illinois.
First to commit to an all-organic pastry, dessert, and fruit offerings.
99% of all packaging used is 100% biodegradable or recyclable.
First to display calorie counts on menu boards and printed menus.
Recognized by Green Restaurant Association as a Certified Green Restaurant®.
First to commit to certified organic turkey, grass-fed beef, and tofu.
Convert to 100% green energy supply (wind + solar) for electricity at all stores.
In-store composting to close the waste cycle.
Rolled out our all-electric, zero-emission Mini Cooper SE for deliveries.
