Wetzels Pretzels
Franchise research report · reviewed 2026 disclosure data
Researching Wetzels Pretzels franchise opportunities? Every figure below is cited to the FDD.
Wetzels Pretzels: The franchised business is the operation of one or more bakeries specializing in hand-rolled soft fresh-baked pretzels, hot dogs and beverages.
Headline figures
Wetzels Pretzels quick facts
- Is Wetzels Pretzels a franchise?
- Yes. Wetzels Pretzels offers franchises through a Franchise Disclosure Document. At the end of 2025, it reported 423 franchised and 35 company-owned outlets (2026 FDD, Item 20, PDF p. 87).
- How much does it cost to open a Wetzels Pretzels franchise?
- The Wetzels Pretzels Franchise Disclosure Document reports separate estimated initial investments by format: $147,000 for 48 our internal construction coordinator total 12 — 147000 (2026 FDD, Item 7, PDF p. 47); $172,125 for funds - first 90 days 5 $10,000 $21,000 as incurred varies employees, others total 6 — 172125 (2026 FDD, Item 7, PDF p. 49). These formats are not combined. Each is the franchisor's disclosed estimate, not a quote. Details
- What ongoing fees does Wetzels Pretzels charge?
- The disclosed ongoing royalty is 6% (2026 FDD, Item 6, PDF p. 33). The brand or advertising fund contribution is 1% (2026 FDD, Item 6, PDF p. 33). Other recurring fees are listed in Item 6. Details
- Does Wetzels Pretzels disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
- Yes. The Wetzels Pretzels FDD includes an Item 19 financial performance representation (2026 FDD, Item 19, PDF p. 83). Figures apply only to the locations and period each one covers. Details
- How many Wetzels Pretzels locations are there?
- The FDD reports 458 outlets at the end of 2025 (2026 FDD, Item 20, PDF p. 87). Existing locations do not indicate territory availability. Details
- Is Wetzels Pretzels a good franchise to buy?
- Franopolis does not rate or recommend franchises. From the reviewed FDD: Item 19 includes financial performance figures; check which locations and period they cover; Item 20 lists outlet openings, closures and transfers; Item 6 includes a brand or advertising fund contribution on top of royalty; Item 20 also lists current and former franchisees you can contact. Review the full FDD with a franchise attorney and accountant before deciding.
From reviewed FDD figures only. Not a recommendation or projection.
What the disclosures show
- 1The 2026 FDD (Item 7) estimates opening costs separately by format: $147,000 (48 our internal construction coordinator TOTAL 12 — 147000); $172,125 (Funds - first 90 days 5 $10,000 $21,000 As incurred Varies Employees, others TOTAL 6 — 172125); several initial fee options apply.
- 2Item 19 covers 10 separate groups: revenue for 166 Franchised locations; revenue and other measures for 24 Franchised locations; other measures and revenue for 21 Franchised locations; revenue and other measures for 42 Franchised locations; adjusted operating results for 147 Franchised locations; revenue and other measures for 165 Franchised locations; revenue and other measures for 37 Franchised locations; other measures and revenue for 295 Franchised locations; other measures and revenue for 6 Franchised locations; revenue for 36 Franchised locations. They are not combined.
- 3Outlets grew by 32 in 2025, to 458 (United States and Puerto Rico, as labeled in the FDD, Item 20).
From reviewed FDD figures only. Not a recommendation or projection.
Wetzels Pretzels head-to-head
Closest peers in the same subcategory, side by side from reviewed FDD figures. Not a ranking or recommendation.
Costs · Items 5–7
What does it cost to open?
Estimated opening costs and the fees payable to the franchisor.
Startup Investment — Item 7
Range across 2 single-unit formats
2026 FDD · Item 7
Formats disclosed in Item 7 (2)
Each format has its own total. The total depends on the format you choose.
- 48 our internal construction coordinator TOTAL 12 — 147000PDF p. 47$147,000
- Funds - first 90 days 5 $10,000 $21,000 As incurred Varies Employees, others TOTAL 6 — 172125PDF p. 49$172,125
Ongoing Fees — Item 6
Selected recurring charges; payment bases and conditions remain attached to each fee.
- et-Front Bakery located within a Walmart location, the Royalty Fee may be reduced to — 6%Main ongoing fee
62 reported fees, each with its payment basis, are listed below; they haven't been sorted into recurring, initial and occasional groups yet.
Financial Performance — Item 19
What results are disclosed—and for which locations?
10 separate populations, shown apart. Revenue is not owner income.
166 locations
Revenue · 166 locations
- Who is counted
- Mall stores without RMU
- Period
- 837216
- Excluded
- Affiliate-owned; not openatstart; ownership changes; <27salesweeks; incomplete/unacceptable/technical reporting excluded.
- Method
- Unaudited franchise royalty-reported adjusted gross revenues; bakery and remote-mobile sales combined where applicable; adjusted revenue not profit.
24 locations
Revenue and other measures · 24 locations
- Who is counted
- NTO/transit
- Period
- NTO/transit
- Excluded
- Affiliate-owned; not openatstart; ownership changes; <27salesweeks; incomplete/unacceptable/technical reporting excluded.
- Method
- Unaudited franchise royalty-reported adjusted gross revenues; bakery and remote-mobile sales combined where applicable; adjusted revenue not profit. Entertainmentlowest printed186.559 preserved.
21 locations
Revenue and other measures · 21 locations
- Who is counted
- Concession truck/trailer
- Period
- Concession truck/trailer
- Excluded
- Affiliate-owned; not openatstart; ownership changes; <27salesweeks; incomplete/unacceptable/technical reporting excluded.
- Method
- Unaudited franchise royalty-reported adjusted gross revenues; bakery and remote-mobile sales combined where applicable; adjusted revenue not profit. Entertainmentlowest printed186.559 preserved.
42 locations
Revenue and other measures · 42 locations
- Who is counted
- Walmart
- Period
- Walmart
- Excluded
- Affiliate-owned; not openatstart; ownership changes; <27salesweeks; incomplete/unacceptable/technical reporting excluded.
- Method
- Unaudited franchise royalty-reported adjusted gross revenues; bakery and remote-mobile sales combined where applicable; adjusted revenue not profit. Entertainmentlowest printed186.559 preserved.
147 locations
Adjusted operating results · 147 locations
Adjusted company-owned results: the franchisor adjusted these centers' expenses to estimate franchisee costs. They are not observed franchisee results or owner take-home income.
- Who is counted
- Benchmark regional/outlet mall stores
- Excluded
- Fullfiscalyear stores with appropriatelyformatted P&L; ownerwagesexcludedfromlabor; otherexpensesincludesroyalties/adfees.
- Method
- Unaudited franchise royalty-reported adjusted gross revenues; bakery and remote-mobile sales combined where applicable; adjusted revenue not profit.
165 locations
Revenue and other measures · 165 locations
- Who is counted
- Regional malls
- Period
- Regional malls
- Excluded
- Affiliate-owned; not openatstart; ownership changes; <27salesweeks; incomplete/unacceptable/technical reporting excluded.
- Method
- Unaudited franchise royalty-reported adjusted gross revenues; bakery and remote-mobile sales combined where applicable; adjusted revenue not profit. Entertainmentlowest printed186.559 preserved.
37 locations
Revenue and other measures · 37 locations
- Who is counted
- Outlet malls
- Period
- Outlet malls
- Excluded
- Affiliate-owned; not openatstart; ownership changes; <27salesweeks; incomplete/unacceptable/technical reporting excluded.
- Method
- Unaudited franchise royalty-reported adjusted gross revenues; bakery and remote-mobile sales combined where applicable; adjusted revenue not profit. Entertainmentlowest printed186.559 preserved.
295 locations
Revenue and other measures · 295 locations
- Who is counted
- All franchised
- Period
- All franchised
- Excluded
- Affiliate-owned; not openatstart; ownership changes; <27salesweeks; incomplete/unacceptable/technical reporting excluded.
- Method
- Unaudited franchise royalty-reported adjusted gross revenues; bakery and remote-mobile sales combined where applicable; adjusted revenue not profit. Entertainmentlowest printed186.559 preserved.
6 locations
Revenue and other measures · 6 locations
- Who is counted
- Entertainment centers
- Period
- Entertainment centers
- Excluded
- Affiliate-owned; not openatstart; ownership changes; <27salesweeks; incomplete/unacceptable/technical reporting excluded.
- Method
- Unaudited franchise royalty-reported adjusted gross revenues; bakery and remote-mobile sales combined where applicable; adjusted revenue not profit. Entertainmentlowest printed186.559 preserved.
36 locations
Revenue · 36 locations
- Who is counted
- Mall stores with RMU
- Period
- 1564026
- Excluded
- Affiliate-owned; not openatstart; ownership changes; <27salesweeks; incomplete/unacceptable/technical reporting excluded.
- Method
- Unaudited franchise royalty-reported adjusted gross revenues; bakery and remote-mobile sales combined where applicable; adjusted revenue not profit.
These groups are never combined. Adjusted company-owned operating results cannot be divided by franchised revenue to calculate a franchisee profit margin.
Outlet Changes — Item 20
How has the outlet count changed?
United States and Puerto Rico, as labeled in the FDD · counts as of 2025 of each year.
2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 87
Net +71 outlets, 2023–2025
Year-end counts reported in Item 20. The scale starts at zero; the labels between the dots show each year's change. Openings and closures for 2025 haven't been pulled from the Item 20 tables yet, so no turnover or churn is shown.
Questions to investigate
Prompts based on what this brand's reviewed disclosures do and don't show — not conclusions. Join free as a member to save questions to your research.
For the franchisor
Which line items in the 2026 Item 7 estimate ($147,000 – $172,125) vary most by market, and why?
Which initial fee option would apply to my situation, and what conditions or discounts affect it?
Which locations are included in the Item 19 figures, and which were excluded?
Reported units went from 426 to 458 in 2025. How many new units opened, closed or changed hands?
Is a territory available in my area, and how is it defined in my agreement?
For current and former owners
How did your actual startup costs and timeline compare with the Item 7 estimate?
How many hours a week do you work in the business, and in what role?
How do your results compare with the Item 19 figures, and what explains the difference?
What support from the franchisor has been most and least useful?
For your advisors
Ask a franchise attorney to review the territory, renewal, transfer and termination terms.
Ask an accountant to build a cash-flow plan using your own assumptions, not the franchisor's.
Sources & vintage history
Every displayed fact is retained with its disclosure vintage, item, page, and reviewed status. Prior vintages remain on file rather than being overwritten.
Citations (2026 FDD)
- [1]Item 19 — Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Mall stores without RMU · PDF p. 83
- [2]Item 19 — Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — NTO/transit · PDF p. 82
- [3]Item 19 — Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Concession truck/trailer · PDF p. 82
- [4]Item 19 — Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Walmart · PDF p. 82
- [5]Item 19 — Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Benchmark regional/outlet mall stores · PDF p. 85; PDF p. 86
- [6]Item 19 — Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Regional malls · PDF p. 82
- [7]Item 19 — Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Outlet malls · PDF p. 82
- [8]Item 19 — Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — All franchised · PDF p. 82
- [9]Item 19 — Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Entertainment centers · PDF p. 82
- [10]Item 19 — Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Mall stores with RMU · PDF p. 83
- [11]Outlet counts — Item 20, Table 1 · PDF p. 87
"PDF p." is the page in the PDF file; "printed p." is the number printed on the FDD page. Source document: FDD
Territory & operations
194 addresses in Franopolis's imported location list. Coverage may differ from Item 20 outlet counts.
These are contract disclosures, not confirmation that any territory is currently available.
Legal & agreement
Franchisor financial statements
| Fiscal year | Measure | Reported value |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | total assets 2025 | $1,447,070 |
| 2025 | equity 2025 | $271,057 |
| 2025 | cash 2025 | $21,840 |
| 2025 | revenue 2025 | $604,239 |
| 2025 | net income | $30,677 |
| 2025 | total liabilities 2025 | $1,176,013 |
| 2024 | revenue 2024 | $597,538 |
| 2024 | total assets 2024 | $1,448,429 |
| 2024 | net income | -$12,556 |
| 2024 | cash 2024 | $12,834 |
| 2024 | total liabilities 2024 | $1,208,049 |
| 2024 | equity 2024 | $240,380 |
These figures describe the franchisor company, not individual franchise locations.
SBA-backed loans to franchisees
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Source: U.S. Small Business Administration 7(a) & 504 FOIA data. Loan volume is not a measure of franchisee success.
Related research
Brands in the same subcategory first, then the wider industry, ordered by shared business format, overlapping investment range, Item 20 outlet count and search interest. This is not a ranking or recommendation.
Head-to-head comparisons
At a glance
Business history
Not reviewed
Owner participation
Not reviewed
Territory language
Litigation disclosure
Not reviewed
Bankruptcy disclosure
Not reviewed
Agreement term
Not reviewed
Reader notes on wording
Our automated check found that these summaries may not match the FDD's exact wording. Read the FDD excerpt itself; it is the authoritative text. Core cost, fee, Item 19 and outlet figures are not affected.
Item 19 · PDF p. 82 · 2026 FDD
Our summary: Lowest Adj. Gross Revenues — Entertainment centers
“Lowest Adj. Gross Revenues 71,931 186.559 216,131 144,023 71,931 223575 81,853”
Note: The source prints the Entertainment Center lowest adjusted gross revenue as “186.559” (PDF p.82), while adjacent values use comma thousands separators. It does not settle whether this is the reported figure or a formatting error.
Independent analysis of franchisor-provided data. Not investment advice. Franopolis does not distribute FDDs.