Meet the Maker: Knotty Pretzels
The Official Pretzel of Beer, Born in Marietta, Georgia
Some of the best businesses start with a grandmother's kitchen — and Knotty Pretzels is no exception.
Founders Sean McSweeney and Casey May met as sophomores at Kennesaw Mountain High School, seated next to each other in a business class. Neither knew it at the time, but that seating chart would eventually lead to one of Georgia's most beloved snack brands.
The idea traces back to Sean's grandmother, affectionately known as "Mom Mom." A woman who made everything from scratch — including her own seasoning — she used to whip up a batch of pretzels for Sean whenever the family got together for the holidays. He wasn't a fan of the usual snacks everyone else reached for on game day; the classic pretzel always left his mouth feeling dry and bland. Mom Mom's version was different. It stuck with him.
Years later, with a shared love of cooking and a dream of starting a business together, Sean and Casey set out to turn that family recipe into something bigger. With a single flavor — Mom Mom's Original Savory Italian — packed into the trunk of their car, they hit the road, hand-selling pretzels at beer festivals and local events across the South.
That's when they noticed something: beer drinkers loved pretzels. The pairing made sense, and it stuck. Marietta's own Red Hare Brewing became the first brewery to carry Knotty Pretzels, and from there, the brand grew alongside Atlanta's booming craft beer scene — eventually earning the nickname "The Official Pretzel of Beer."
What started as guerilla marketing — literally giving away hundreds of pounds of pretzels at bowling alleys, gas stations, and breweries — turned into real traction. Landing a spot in Harry's Market on Roswell Road, followed by a placement in Whole Foods' new Kennesaw location, became the turning point. From there, growth took off fast: by mid-2021, Knotty Pretzels was in 225 retailers across Georgia and every Whole Foods in the Southeast. Just eight months later, that number had grown to over 1,400 retailers nationwide, including Kroger, Publix, and Albertsons locations across multiple regions.
Through it all, Sean and Casey have stayed true to where it all began — a small-batch, family recipe made with real ingredients and a whole lot of heart. Working alongside culinary experts, they've since expanded well beyond that original Italian flavor, developing a full lineup of seasoned pretzels designed to pair with different beer styles, from Honey Mustard to Ranch to their newest release: Dill Pickle.
It's a story that feels distinctly Georgia — two childhood best friends, a cherished family recipe, and a lot of hustle that turned a car trunk full of pretzels into a snack found on shelves across the country. And through it all, Knotty Pretzels has never lost sight of where it started: Mom Mom's kitchen, and the people who made it all possible.
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