This Pretzel Startup Turned a Viral TikTok Moment Into Months’ Worth of Sales—in Just Three Days

Marcus Moore’s heartwarming backstory is winning over customers on TikTok.

BY ANNABEL BURBA, EDITORIAL ASSISTANT @ANNIEBURBA

Moore Crunch founder Marcus Moore. Illustration: Inc; Photo: Moore Crunch

Baltimore County, Maryland-based entrepreneur Marcus Moore is going viral on TikTok for the heartwarming story behind his business Moore Crunch. And the social media views are translating into real sales.

Moore launched his brand in October 2022 after snacking on pretzels one day and wondering if he could improve them, according to the Moore Crunch website and product packaging. While his first batch was “just okay,” he eventually developed a crunchy, flavor-packed recipe and started selling it at a local farmer’s market. Moore now sells his pretzels in five flavors: sour cream and onion, buffalo, cinnamon sugar, garlic ranch, and Maryland crab. They cost $8 per bag or $35 for a five-bag flavor assortment.

Moore doesn’t shy away from the fact that, as a person with autism, he has struggled to find work that allows him to live independently. In starting a pretzel company, he writes in Moore Crunch packaging, he aims to finally achieve that goal.

By sharing his personal story online, Moore has gained thousands of followers on TikTok and attracted the attention of several local news outlets. In January, WUSA 9 reporter Sean Martinelli featured Moore Crunch in a broadcast news story. When he posted the clip on TikTok, it went viral, amassing more than 2 million views and 371,000 likes. 

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Moore’s story seemed to resonate deeply with many TikTok users. “I just placed an order,” one commented. “My daughter is autistic and loves pretzels just as much as I do. I’m so excited to try them.” Another wrote: “As a mom of a son on the spectrum, it gives me so much hope, my son can do something amazing too!”

As a result, in just three days, Moore’s company received the amount of orders “it would normally take three to four months to get,” he told Inc. over email. Seeing people connect with his story online has been “super cool,” Moore writes, adding that it “feels like I’m not by myself anymore.”

Business hasn’t slowed since. According to Moore, sales have grown “a lot over the past few months.”

That’s partially due to Moore Crunch continuing to go viral. In February, the entrepreneur posted a video of himself filling pretzel bags by hand that reached more than 572,000 views. One month later, another creator’s TikTok, which showed a customer getting emotional while reading the back of a Moore Crunch bag aloud, got 376,000 views. The pretzel brand’s account now has nearly 71,000 followers and 478,000 total likes.

“I’m just grateful for everyone who gave my pretzels a chance,” Moore writes. “When you go viral, it’s amazing and crazy and I’m so happy—but also I now know what to expect and plan better.”

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