Passion for Pretzels: A Prendergast Family Tradition
The Prendergast family's passion for pretzels spans generations and continues to grow as they share their family tradition with the Kansas City community at KC Pretzel Boy’s in Overland Park.
St. Louis native, Tom Prendergast, met his wife Linda in high school and her father, Grandpa Chill, started the tradition by bringing Gus’ Pretzels home to his daughters. Shortly after Tom and Linda had children, they relocated to Kansas City but made sure to have a special soft pretzel showing their kid’s age at every birthday party! Over the years, pretzels became a symbol for family – representing good times, celebrations and years of wonderful memories. Now that the Prendergast kids are grown, they are passing this tradition down to their children, Tom and Linda’s grandkids.
Five years ago in 2017, Rockhurst graduate, Dan Wikeria opened KC Pretzel Boy’s with his wife Andrea and brother, Matt, in Overland Park – just down the street from Top Golf. Richie, Tom and Linda’s oldest son became a regular and several times a month he would bring pretzels to family gatherings. And the Prendergast family got hooked all over again!
Today, the entire Prendergast family all work together at the shop making fresh dough every day and serving KC’s best soft pretzels to a loyal and supportive customer base.
Meet the family and learn about their passion for Pretzels!
Tom Prendergast
Our family is from St Louis, where there’s a storied history of hot soft pretzel shops. When we relocated to Kansas City, we missed the delicious treat that had become such a meaningful family tradition. When we discovered KC Pretzel Boy’s, we immediately became loyal customers and were familiar faces to Dan, Andrea and Matt.
During the pandemic, Dan reluctantly put the shop up for sale and our daughter in-law, Suzanne, and daughter, Erin, felt this was a wonderful opportunity for us to step up and buy the shop – and run it as a family business. Our youngest daughter, Jamie, has a restaurant and management degree and she’s our shop manager. So far it’s been a family affair. Not only are the kids and their spouses involved, so are our grandchildren.
The past six months have been an exciting time for our family and we are excited to bring our family tradition and passion for pretzels to our customers at Pretzel Boy’s.
Jamie (Prendergast) Chesley
Pretzels represent so many great memories from my childhood. We had pretzels just about every family gathering whether it was a birthday, holiday or just a casual get together. Pretzels were just a way of life!
Our parents worked tirelessly throughout our childhood. Between my dad working multiple jobs and my mom raising four kids in a busy household, it was hectic, but always filled with love. My parents set an example of hard work, dedication and sacrifice for family – and now my siblings and I want to reflect the example they set as we work together at Pretzel Boy’s.
Owning Pretzel Boy’s gives my family the opportunity to be part of the community in a really beautiful way. I’m excited to be able to provide a staple for families to come together, create good memories, and pass the tradition of pretzels down to their kids.
Corey Chesley
My only experience with pretzels was at Royals baseball games with my family. When I met Jamie and started coming to family gatherings there were always mini soft pretzels and mini pups from Pretzel Boy’s. Every. Single. Gathering. I finally asked why and learned about Tom's love for soft pretzels dating back to his time in St. Louis. It is ingrained in the Prendergast DNA and I knew family gatherings would always have the best snacks. I can't say I expected soft pretzels to be served at my wedding before meeting Jamie, but now it's all I hear about from our guests.
Pretzels are a universally loved snack. There is a sense of pride that comes when a conversation with a stranger leads to a rave review of Pretzel Boy’s and how soft pretzels were a hit at their latest event. I’m definitely glad I married into a pretzel family.
Eddie Ysusi
My family has been Chiefs season ticket holders for 21 years. When I was younger, I used to get cinnamon pretzels at the stadium. Sadly, the vendor moved location or discontinued the product. Fast forward to about fifteen years later and Erin mentioned Pretzel Boy’s was just down the street. It was like Christmas morning finding out about cinnamon pretzels again!
Our kids, Joey and Cody, love pretzels as well and I’m looking forward to putting our own stamp on Pretzel Boy’s. As a local business owner, I’m confident we can make a positive impact in the community and show our kids that when you put your heart into something good things can happen.
Erin (Prendergast) Ysusi
Every time our family traveled to St. Louis, Gus’ Pretzel Shop was our first and last stop. We would pass the bag of hot soft pretzels around the minivan and bring the big bag into my grandparents’ house. My cousins and aunts and uncles would come through the door and my dad would shout “We’ve got Gus” and one by one the family would grab a pretzel and sit down to visit.
Meaningful and fun describe my childhood experiences. Our parents showed us the importance of being there, taking care of your family and doing whatever you have to do to help one another out. That’s how I approach my role as a child life specialist at Children’s Mercy Hospital and when working alongside my family at Pretzel Boy’s.
I enjoy meeting families that have the similar traditions to ours and it’s fulfilling to form relationships with our customers. I love that pretzels continue to be a tradition in my family and hope Pretzel Boy’s can help create new traditions or families in KC. I’m excited for all the possibilities and am proud to bring fun and memorable experiences to families through our love for pretzels!
Tom Prendergast
I’ve loved watching my children and grandchildren develop a passion for pretzels throughout the years and I’m proud to see them working together to make Pretzel Boy’s a success. It’s not unusual to see my 5-year-old grandson, Tommy, sitting next to the front door, munching a pretzel and waving to customers as they enter the shop. 3-year-old Joey sits right next to him, wearing his Chiefs hat as his right-hand man. Our newest grandbaby, Cody, just turned one and is literally learning to walk in the shop. It’s truly a joy to share this with my family.
It's also been a joy serving the Kansas City community and getting to know our customers. We are excited to welcome you to our Pretzel Boy’s family. I think it’s fair to say that we got into the business because we all love hot pretzels.
And what’s not to love?
