Colorado Springs pretzel shop kneaded more dough to stay open

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - A local pretzel shop was saved by a viral social media post, as it was struggling to make ends meet after a solid start at the beginning of the pandemic.

"During the start of the pandemic, we did very well," a Facebook post by Mark Anthony's Pretzels reads. "At one point we had 10 delivery drivers, [we] were able to pay them very well, and even paid off some debt!"

However, Mark Anthony's Pretzels had since seen a drop in business due to strict COVID-19 restrictions on its wholesale partners in Denver, the closure of two partners in Colorado Springs, and the city's closure of the nearest intersection for roadwork.

Upon hearing about his hardships, the Colorado Springs community came to the rescue.

Mark's Facebook post has gotten nearly 400 shares over the last three days, causing new and old customers to head over to the company's Dublin Boulevard storefront.

"We were saying 'oh my God if we don't come up with something huge, we’re going to have to close down probably within 30 days," Mark explained. "And that's not even on the radar anymore. At all."

After his good fortune, Mark now has another message for the public:

It's not just his business that's struggling -- and you can help.

"Get your meals catered," he said. "Call your favorite restaurant and say 'okay I want to support you. What are you doing for Thanksgiving?'"

The pretzel shop -- like many other local restaurants -- is trying something new to keep its doors open. Each week, they're offering a new family meal available for pre-order. The shop is also continuing its "pretzel happy hour" every day at 4 p.m.