Hot Sam Pretzels was a chain of soft pretzel franchises in the United States.Hot Sam began in the Detroit suburb of Southfield, Michigan, in 1967. It was sold to General Host, then-owners of Frank's Nursery & Crafts, in 1971 and sold again in 1986.Located mainly in malls, the chain was acquired by Mrs. Fields in 1995. Mrs. Field's purchased Pretzel Time in 1996 and merged the two chains under the Pretzel Time brand. The last 10 locations were converted in 2005.