Portsmouth-based Port City Pretzels has grown into one of NH’s most recognizable food brands after a decade in operation.
Founded in 2015 by Suzanne Foley, who now co-owns the company with her daughter Eilee Marousek, Port City Pretzels produces seasoned hard pretzels sold in more than 5,000 retail locations nationwide. The company operates from its facility at 170 West Road in Portsmouth and employs 45 people, all in NH.
The company’s mission has remained consistent: to create distinctive, high-quality pretzels with flavors inspired by Portsmouth’s coastal character while building a workplace grounded in inclusion and opportunity. More than 70% of its workforce is comprised of individuals with disabilities, a commitment that has shaped its identity and drawn statewide recognition.
Foley says that focus emerged organically. “It really started with a need for employees,” she says. “Eilee was working for a rehabilitation organization and said, ‘I’ve got people who want to work.’ It just grew from there.”
Port City Pretzels, originally named Portsmouth Pretzels, has received multiple honors, including Woman-Owned Small Business of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration and workforce and inclusion awards from Easterseals NH, Vocational Rehabilitation NH, and the Diversity Workforce Coalition. The company is also a certified Women’s Business Enterprise and a Recovery Friendly Workplace.
Port City’s commitment to people is inseparable from its success. “We’re real, we’re sincere,” Foley says. “We have a good product and we’re not trying to be anything other than what we are.” Marousek joined the business full time in 2024 after working as a licensed therapist with high-risk youth. While she no longer deals with life and death issues, she is fully committed to growing the company. “I work harder, but I have more fun.” Her responsibilities now range from product development and quality control to logistics and marketing.
In the past few years, the company has expanded its retail footprint nationally while strengthening operations, including earning Food Safety and Preventive Controls certifications in 2025. It is also preparing to grow its workforce and production capacity. “We’re still operating on one shift, but we’re moving toward a second,” Foley says.
Looking ahead, the company aims for further expansion. “We want to put more pretzels on shelves,” Foley says, “but we also want to keep creating a place where people can come to work, feel valued, and succeed.”
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