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Barriers are being broken and opportunities are growing across west Louisville these days. On the heels of the first major hospital west of 9th Street opening its doors, Stellar Snacks cut the ribbon in what’s being called the largest economic development project on record in the area.
“For far too long, the people of west Louisville were passed over when it comes to announcements like this,” said Governor Andy Beshear, and now, “We get to say to Stellar Snacks ‘welcome to your new Kentucky home right here in west Louisville’.”
Gina and Elisabeth Galvin announced last fall that they would build Stellar Snacks’ second pretzel factory off Dixie Highway in the Park Hill neighborhood.
“We knew we wanted to be on the east coast, but when we got here, it was overwhelming that we had picked the right place. It was a unanimous decision without a shadow of a doubt,” said co-founder Gina Galvin.
The mother-daughter duo is the first woman-owned pretzel manufacturer in the United States. They founded Stellar Snacks in 2019 with a mission to create something that not only tastes good but makes you feel good when you eat it.
“We are the cleanest, seasoned pretzel braid on the market. We make really unique flavors that have fun names,” Gina said. And of course, “Water is one of those top five ingredients,” she said, talking about the recipe.
Made With Pure Tap® is proud to partner with Stellar Snacks because you can’t make pretzels without Pure Tap here in Louisville. While she’s not from here, it didn’t take Gina Galvin long to learn that talking about the water quality is a “thing” here.
“As an outsider, there’s things you don’t know. I’d say the amazingness of your water is one of the first things we were introduced to. I drink it at home, and I am an avid fan of Pure Tap,” she shared.
Something else the Galvins are avid fans of- family and community.
“I saw the leadership that was going to be here, and I saw that it was going to be a great opportunity for myself and my family. I hopped on board as fast as possible,” said Shipping and Receiving Supervisor De’Andre Lewis.
“Gina and Elisabeth came here with open arms. They make us feel wanted and appreciated, so I’m very grateful for good, top leadership. It starts at the top and they’re actually doing their job to make us feel welcome and that this is our home. And I’m glad to be home,” Lewis said.
He grew up not far from where Stellar Snacks is located, and he’s excited to see the possibilities for the neighborhood.
“It means a lot to a lot of people here. Nobody left behind, it means more opportunity to give these people a chance to work instead of doing the wrong things out here.”
And that’s exactly what the Galvins hope to accomplish in this journey.
“We wanted to make it very available to everybody to come join in and not make just a factory or just a job opportunity but truly a family here of people that feel that they want Stellar Snacks in this community, and they can see their future growth here with us,” Gina said.
The women have certainly embraced the local ‘flavors’ by making pretzels with Pure Tap, hiring local residents, and there’s one more local twist for Stellar Snacks’ newest flavor.
“It’s not just a bag but a canvas for emerging art. Each flavor gets a new artist allocated,” Gina explained, revealing that the next pretzel bag will feature a design from Louisville artist Jaylin Monet Stewart.
Stellar Snacks is expected to create 350 full-time jobs over the next 10 years.
