Suzanne Foley, 2026 Outstanding Women in Business Recipient

Suzanne Foley is the Founder & CEO of Port City Pretzels

Suzanne Foley
Founder & CEO, Port City Pretzels

Suzanne is the founder and president of Port City Pretzels, a Portsmouth-based specialty snack food company she launched in 2015 after a long career in finance, business operations and healthcare administration.

After losing her job at age 55, Suzanne decided to turn an unexpected career transition into an opportunity to work for herself. Drawing on a beloved family recipe and her passion for creativity, she founded Port City Pretzels, a certified 100% women-owned business.

Under Suzanne’s leadership, Port City Pretzels has grown steadily and organically from a regional startup into an expanding specialty food brand. Its products are now distributed in approximately 5,000 grocery and related retail outlets. Online sales have also become a growing source of revenue.

More than a decade after taking the leap into entrepreneurship, Suzanne continues to grow Port City Pretzels while earning recognition for her entrepreneurial leadership and demonstrating the possibilities of launching a successful new chapter later in one’s career.

Q. Why pretzels? Was there a family connection?

Yes. My mother-in-law was larger than life, and we always had these pretzels at her house. That’s where I got the idea about 30 years ago, thinking, “These are marketable.”

When my kids had a school entrepreneur project, and I said, “Let’s do these pretzels,” it was really funny because they sold out. We put them in little baggies and wrapped them up, and they were gone in no time. That stayed in my brain.

When I was thinking about what I could do to start a business, I knew I loved food. Catering was going to be too hard, so I thought, “What if I did Portsmouth pretzels?” Portsmouth was becoming such a tourist destination, and I thought I could sell to maybe 10 stores downtown. That was my plan, and that’s how it all started.

Now, we are sprinkled throughout the country. We’re in Monterey, California, and Oregon. We’re in Universal Studios at a hotel down there, which is really cool.

For the most part, though, we are pretty heavily concentrated in the Northeast and are working our way down the corridor. We’re pushing into New York, New Jersey and Virginia.

Q. Have supply-chain issues or other economic challenges affected the business?

Our box company and some of our other suppliers have been affected. The whole issue with gas and fuel prices has been horrific.

When I hear another owner or CEO talk about what they’re going through, it’s almost like, “OK, I’m not alone in this.” Sometimes that’s when you say, “Let’s just march through this.”

I think everybody is feeling a pinch. We want people to take risks. You just don’t want to make it so difficult that nobody is willing to do that anymore. But you just keep moving on.

Q. How important has relationship-building been to you as an entrepreneur?

Absolutely everything I have done is based on a recommendation from somebody else.

Whether it’s a SCORE mentor or an SBDC (Small Business Development Center) mentor, I have taken advantage of everything that the SBA (Small Business Administration) can offer. I also have an advisory board, and some of the members have been with me since the beginning. Those are incredible relationships. I can bounce things off them.

Now, as we’re ramping up into the next stage, I really need everybody. I rely very heavily on those relationships.

Q. What advice would you give the next generation of entrepreneurs or female business leaders?

Take a risk. You have to work really hard, but it’s OK.

There’s so much self-satisfaction in it — the good and the bad.

Today might be a tough day, but tomorrow is going to be a better day. There are always ups and downs, and you just have to weather them.

It can’t be about money for a really, really long time. It has to be passion, and I think that’s what it was for us.

Then there’s the added bonus of my employees, which is even better. To imagine that I’m building this place and providing work for these folks is incredible.

If you feel like you want to go for it, do it. Don’t be unhappy. You have to do what you love.

You just have to do what you have to do and take a chance. I guess it’s taking a chance on yourself.