Julius Young opened the first outlet at Livonia Mall in a Detroit suburb in Michigan.

[1][2] In 1971, the owners sold the company to General Host, who then owned the Detroit-based retailer Frank's Nursery & Crafts.

Mrs. Field's purchased Pretzel Time in 1996 and merged the two chains under the "Pretzel Time" brand.

[4] Hot Sam was recreated in 2018 for an appearance in the mall food court of the Netflix series Stranger Things, which is set in the mid-1980s.

[5] The faux mall facades were constructed at Gwinnett Place Mall near Atlanta, Georgia, where the series is filmed.