For 100 years, in the shadow of Anheuser-Busch Brewery, generations have been twisting pretzels by hand.

Gus Koebbe III, the fourth generation to carry on the tradition of Gus’ Pretzels, shares the history of his family business.

From beginning to the present day, and the future that lies ahead.

A century in business is no easy feat, but Gus’ Pretzels has found its way into the celebrations of families across St. Louis; from weddings to graduations, to funerals.

Gus and their employees still rise early, like they have for 100 years, to turn on the ovens at the Benton Park pretzel shop.

We talked about the process of crafting a pretzel, why they started selling sticks, and Gus shares his thoughts on the perfect pretzel. Hint: It’s a specific time when it comes out of the oven.