Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephanie Kriebel.
Hi Stephanie, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
The idea for OMG! Pretzels began with an after-school snack (hint: our Garlic pretzels) that Mom used to make for us when we were growing up. In 2014 we co-founded the company as a mother-daughter duo to share the family recipe with others. Lynn, my mom, who created the seasoning recipe and made the pretzel nuggets for us originally, made the pretzels in her kitchen two pans at a time in our headquarters in the suburbs of Philadelphia, Pretzelvania and then packaged them for local retailers in the living room. These initial partners were acquired the old-fashioned way – going door to door, sharing samples, and getting on shelves. As word spread in the Philadelphia area, we scaled up to a commercial kitchen and hired a few people, mostly friends from church, to help. At this time, Mom was running OMG! Pretzels and I was still working full-time at my day job so that we could continue to invest in the company. A few months after we moved into the commercial kitchen, we met our first distributor and they helped us branch out regionally across Pennsylvania and into New Jersey. This was a huge step for us and we continued to grow incrementally this way for the next 3 years. In 2020, my teaching job went remote because of COVID, so I drove across the country to be more involved with the business and ultimately, in 2021, I took over as CEO and turned my full attention to OMG! Pretzels.
We turned to a co-manufacturer and that allowed us to scale the business to the next level. When we found the right one, it was thanks to an introduction from another relationship we had. This really taught me to be open with my network about challenges we are facing because you never know who knows someone that can help you obtain that next piece of the puzzle you need to make everything work. In 2019 and 2020, we doubled our sales each of those years and expanded to a nationwide reach, including Alaska and Hawaii, and added other varieties to the product line. I realized we’d need to start looking for a different co-manufacturer who could handle our larger quantities and multiple package sizes. It took 14 months to onboard with that partner.
This onboarding included a reformulation to all clean products and a rebrand with new packaging. We built a lot of trust during this process and for 3 years, we were able to work with them and grow the business to our highest revenue level since our founding in 2024. We also learned a lot of lessons through this relationship that we will take with us into 2026 and beyond as we continue to grow and explore new opportunities.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Not always. Building a brand, especially in CPG, is challenging. We had small bumps in the road as we grew but our biggest challenge occurred more recently and was a pervasive issue last year when our co-packer who we had been working with since 2023 only made product for us 3 times all year. This meant that we were out of stock with our best-sellers for about 8 months during 2025, and that when we got the product, we only had enough to fill back orders. Because of this, we were unable to recruit new customers and had serious issues with cash flow.
We are luckily on our way to a solution as our first run with a new co-packer is almost complete and we will be back in stock with our best-sellers. While we stabilize operations, we will offer our other varieties on a seasonal basis.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Our seasoned sourdough pretzel nuggets offer smart, sophisticated snacking with real ingredients, bold flavors, and zero compromise. They are perfect for people who want their indulgence to have integrity.
Our women-owned, family run company crafts 4 unique varieties made in the USA. The culinary-inspired recipes are kosher, artificial ingredient free, and nonGMO.
We know first impressions are everything, especially when it comes to snacking and feeding family and friends. That’s why we took special care to ensure that every last bit of our carefully crafted, seasoned sourdough nuggets deliver the perfect sensory snacking experience that every snack lover dreams about. Our vision is to bring our love-at-first-bite flavor and craveworthy crunch to the world and earn a place in the hearts and pantries of snack lovers everywhere. Our pretzel nuggets are the perfect standalone snack, an elegant enhancement for entertaining, and a delicious addition to your favorite recipes.
I am most proud of my mom and the strong relationship we have by working together on the business all these years.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
I am a risk-taker. I think anyone who is an entrepreneur is a risk-taker. You have risk financially, emotionally, physically and mentally. I come by it naturally. Both of my parents had their own businesses and this isn’t my first time having my own business. It has been my most challenging; my first time having a product versus a service.
I love change. You have to take your passion and build a brand from that. Each step of the way, we just had to figure it out. In our 12 years, we had to take calculated risks based on prior experiences and relationships we developed to get to the next level. And, there’s a lot of rejection. Buyers may not like your product or packaging; they may say it’s too expensive. It’s hard not to take things personally when it’s your business. That is personal – it’s your business!
I think taking risks is exciting. You can calculate some things, but not everything. You just have to go for it and hope it works!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.omgpretzels.com
- Instagram: @omgpretzels
- Facebook: @omgpretzels
- LinkedIn: company/omgpretzels
