Entrepreneur with autism expands pretzel business to many sites across Central Maryland
A Maryland man is showing how anything is possible for people with autism through his pretzel business.
April is Autism Acceptance Month, a time to empower people with autism to live life to the fullest. So, Marcus Moore is all smiles looking at his pretzel brand on the shelves inside Fishpaws Marketplace in Arnold.
"It's just amazing to have this in stores like Fishpaws," Moore said. "It's just amazing."
WBAL-TV 11 News first met Moore in March 2023, less than a year after he started his pretzel business, Moore Crunch. Moore, 30, who has autism, started the business so he could grow and be self-sufficient.
"It also helped me get to interact with more people with greatness, learning social skills and it's been very good at helping my social anxiety," Moore said. "It has been improving ever since."
Since the 2023, Moore has expanded quite a bit. He went from mixing up his pretzels in a large bowl to working in a commercial kitchen. He has a new sour-cream-and-onion flavor and much new business.
In addition to Fishpaws, other retailers that sell Moore's pretzels include Eddies of Roland Park, Geresbeck's Food Market, Graul's Market and Green Valley Marketplace. You can also find Moore Crunch pretzels at The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Sinai Hospital, the National Aquarium and Camden Yards.
"It's amazing how far a journey it is from being in a small business, like a booth and to just be growing and expanding. It's just been wonderful," Moore said.
Throughout the month of April, Moore is doing a "Crunch Crew Tour," stopping by some of the places that sell his pretzels to meet new people. His next stop is the Spring on the Green Festival on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
As Moore's business grows, his mission remains the same, to show other people with autism anything is possible.
"Don't let anyone tell you that you can't do something," Moore said. "There's always a way."
Moore is raising money so he can get a bigger commercial kitchen and hire more people. He's also finding ways to give back to children with autism. For more information on Moore Crunch and how you can help, visit the following website.
