This was published 6 months ago
‘Who cares, I can do it’: How this 30-year-old Perth entrepreneur built a pretzel empire
By Tracy Vo
A 30-year-old Perth entrepreneur has credited her business success to not being afraid of failure.
Pretzel Australia founder Brittany Garbutt started her empire of baked goods from one small pink shipping container and now has more than a dozen stores across Perth and Melbourne.
The former Curtin University Arts student wanted to fill a hole in the hospitality space.
Pretzel Australia founder Brittany Garbutt.
Her pretzel passion started in her teenage years, when working for a pretzel store in Whitfords, before it shut down.
At 23 years old, Garbutt opened her first store in Northbridge, in the form of an eye-catching pink shipping container, admitting it was tough in the beginning.
“I actually worked 364 days in a row, 19 hours a day just about with no breaks. It’s tough, it’s a tough job but I love doing it.”
Her hard work paid off, with Pretzel Australia expanding to 12 stores in Perth and Melbourne, employing up to 250 workers in just seven years.
Now she runs her business with the welfare of her staff front of mind.
“They’re such integral parts of this business. We’d like to make sure they’re the centre of a lot of our decisions. I really try and tap into their loves and their enjoyment. I really try and get everyone to commit to everything like a family. I think that’s mostly what’s driven it,” Garbutt said.
Also part of her business strategy is investing within, rolling profits from one store into setting up new shopfronts. Her latest offering at her old stomping ground of Curtin University cost $500,000.
The entrepreneur believes part of her success was the naivety of youth.
“In the beginning it was like who cares, I can do it. There’s a proverb which is like worrying is suffering twice, so I try not to worry, let’s just get through and do it and I know we can do it,” Garbutt said.
Now her pretzel empire is so successful, it’s allowed her to be less hands on for the last 12 months but she admits she is learning something new every day when running her own business.
“You start a new job almost every six months. Now I’m like a HR professional, I’m my own lawyer, I can do accounting.”
The business woman says she’s overwhelmed by the growing popularity of Pretzel Australia and her next grand plan is franchising.
“It’s got the potential to provide a lot of love for other families, young people like me who want to get that experience, that opportunity. I want to be able to share my crazy variety of pink pretzel love all over the place and the world,” she said.
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