Having grown up in Philly and as an adult lived in New Jersey you can say I have a love of pretzels. Not being able to find a "real" soft-pretzel in Los Angeles I have been making my own version of a Philly style soft-pretzel for two years. I am now bringing East Coast pretzels to the West Coast.
Soft-pretzels are not meant to be eaten hot, rather they should be eaten at room temperature to fully enjoy their chewiness.
If you find yourself with left over pretzels, put them in a plastic storage bag and store in the freezer.