Wetzel’s Pretzels is now offering a franchise opportunity with the Phillips 66 family of brands. Operators will now have the opportunity to open a Wetzel’s at Phillips 66, Conoco and 76 branded convenience stores.
“We’ve been incredibly impressed with the early success of Wetzel’s Pretzels locations at the 76 convenience stores and the benefit this initiative will provide for both brands’ growth,” said Frank Gonzales, director of non-traditional development at Wetzel’s Pretzels. “Our team is excited to provide the convenience and ease of operations to even more franchise investors, and we’re determined to ‘Bring Pretzels to the People’ on a larger scale.”
The Wetzel’s and Phillips 66 family of brands collaboration brings together Phillips 66’s experience as a well-known energy company alongside the momentum of Wetzel’s. The concept has also seen continuous momentum this year. Wetzel’s was recently named to Franchise Business Review’s “Top Food Franchises for 2021” and added food marketing industry veteran Kim Freer as chief marketing officer.
Radiating its signature Southern California vibe, Wetzel’s was founded in Redondo Beach, California 25 years ago. The growth of the store-within-a-store operational model follows the recent success of Ron Reger and Alfred Daher opening three Wetzel’s locations in their 76 convenience stores within 10 months.
“Phillips 66 is committed to helping owners grow. Wetzel’s has a proven franchise business model, so we recognize this opportunity as a great way to drive traffic into stores and generate additional revenue,” said Lou Burke, manager of branded sales at Phillips 66.
With several locations in the pipeline set to open before the end of the year, Wetzel’s has successfully opened locations in malls, outlet centers, stadiums, boardwalks, convenience stores, Walmart stores and transit destinations. It also has a fleet of several food trucks.