Wetzel's Pretzels vs Auntie Anne's Hand-Rolled Soft Pretzels Franchise Comparison
Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Wetzel's Pretzels vs Auntie Anne's Hand-Rolled Soft Pretzels including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.
Start-Up Costs and Fees |
Investment |
$126,600 - $405,850 | $98,350 - $445,000 |
Franchise Fee |
$35,000 | $30,000 |
Royalty Fee |
7% | 7% |
Advertising Fee |
1% | 1% |
Year Founded |
1994 | 1988 |
Year Franchised |
1996 | 1989 |
Term Of Agreement |
10 years | 5 years |
Term Of Agreement |
10 years | 5 years |
Renewal Fee |
- | - |
Business Experience Requirements |
Experience |
General business experience | General business experience |
Financing Options |
|
In-House/3rd Party | In-House/3rd Party |
Franchise Fees |
No/Yes | No/Yes |
Start-up Costs |
No/Yes | No/Yes |
Equipment |
Yes/Yes | No/Yes |
Inventory |
No/Yes | No/Yes |
Receivables |
No/No | No/Yes |
Payroll |
No/No | No/Yes |
Training & Support |
Training |
On-The-Job Training: 40 hours
Classroom Training: 40 hours
| On-The-Job Training: 32 hours
Classroom Training: 40-64 hours
|
Support |
Newsletter
Meetings/Conventions
Toll-Free Line
Grand Opening
Security/Safety Procedures
Field Operations
Site Selection
Franchisee Intranet Platform
| Newsletter
Meetings/Conventions
Toll-Free Line
Grand Opening
Online Support
Security/Safety Procedures
Field Operations
Site Selection
Proprietary Software
Franchisee Intranet Platform |
Marketing |
Ad Templates
Social media
SEO
Email marketing
Loyalty program/app
| Ad Templates
National Media
Social media
SEO
Website development
Email marketing
Loyalty program/app |
Operations |
20% of all franchisees own more than one unit Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 10
Absentee ownership of franchise is allowed. (100% of current franchisees are owner/operators)
|
53.9% of all franchisees own more than one unit Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 9 - 12
Absentee ownership of franchise is allowed. (95% of current franchisees are owner/operators)
|
Expansion Plans |
US Expansion |
Yes | Yes |
Canada Expansion |
No | No |
International Expansion |
Yes | Yes |
Company Overviews
About Wetzel's Pretzels
Wetzel's Pretzels founded by Rick Wetzel & Bill Phelps, former marketing executives in 1994. 1st Wetzel's Pretzels located in South Bay Galleria in Southern California. First store was opened in 1995 Century City, Hollywood.
In 1996 Wetzel's Pretzels began franchising. Currently they have locations across United States (Universal City, Staples Center, Dodgers Stadium, Disneyland, Disney world) & internationally. Currently co-branding relationship with Cold Stone Creamery, Swensen's, Juice It Up and more.
Beginning of 2016 Wetzel's franchise fast food restaurants had 298 locations out of them 269 US locations; 2 in Canada; 19 worldwide; and 8 owned by the company itself.
Popular products:
Pretzels, consisting of several different flavors
Frozen Lemonade, sold in a variety of flavors.
Frozen Granita, a frozen version of the Italian dessert
The franchisor offers 3 franchise programs:
- A single Wetzel's Pretzels Bakery. The total investment necessary
to begin operation of a Wetzel's Pretzels Bakery ranges from $164,950
to $405,850. This includes approximately between $42,350 and $50,750
that must be paid to the franchisor. If Wetzel's Pretzels grants you a
license to operate a Remote Mobile Unit under a Remote Mobile Unit
Addendum to your Franchise Agreement, you will also pay it a fee of
$5,000 for a Remote Mobile Unit.
- Multiple Wetzel's Pretzels Bakeries within a defined area pursuant
to a Multi-Unit Development Agreement. There is an initial development
fee of $15,000 multiplied by the number of Bakeries which you must open,
plus the balance of the initial franchise fee ($20,000) for your first
Franchise Agreement. You will pay an initial franchise fee of $35,000
for each Bakery ($22,500 for a second Bakery in the same mall). However,
the franchisor will credit the development fee against the initial
franchise fees (at the rate of $15,000 for the second and each
subsequent Franchise Agreement).
- A single Wetzel's Pretzels Concession Truck or Trailer. The total
investment necessary to begin operation of a Wetzel's Pretzels Concession Truck or Trailer ranges from $126,600 to $275,850. This
includes approximately between $9,000 and $14,750 that must be paid to
the franchisor.
#497 in Franchise 500 for 2020.
About Auntie Anne's Hand-Rolled Soft Pretzels
Anne Beiler had been baking most of her life, but it wasn't until she began managing a concession stand at a farmer's market in Maryland that she thought about starting a business. The stand served pizzas, pretzels, chips and candy, with the pretzels outselling everything else. Beiler stopped selling pizza and began hand-rolling pretzels in front of her customers, making the snack even more popular. Eventually, Beiler bought her own stand, naming it Auntie Anne's, and, soon two of her brothers were operating Auntie Anne's booths of their own. Today, Auntie Anne's locations serve a variety of pretzels, dipping sauces and drinks.
Join us in putting the hand-rolled deliciousness of Auntie Anne’s®
soft pretzels into more people’s hands. We are looking for franchise
owners to extend our reach into street side locations, tourist
locations, colleges, and more. Our guests savor Auntie Anne’s®
pretzels’ unique flavor profile. You’ll value the strong financials,
culture that promotes community involvement, and opportunities afforded
you by our impressive global footprint. The future is looking bright for
our franchise owners. Get in on the goodness now.
As we rise, you shine.
Auntie Anne's®
is looking for people with a passion for business, matched by their
desire to deliver the highest-quality customer service and hospitality.
Candidates should have:Business Experience
(Restaurant Experience Preferred)
$100K+ Liquid Capital
$300K Net Worth
People Skills
Connected to the Community
Stores can be found in shopping centers, airports and train stations across the United States and Worldwide.
The total investment necessary to begin operation of an Auntie Anne's®
franchise ranges from $156,350 to $445,000. This includes $30,000 to
$30,400 that must be paid to the franchisor or their affiliates.
The
total investment necessary to begin operation of a Shop within a
temporary stand in a farmers’ market, a concession trailer, or a food
truck (a “Concession Shop”) is $98,350 to $253,000. This includes
$10,000 to $10,400 that must be paid to the franchisor or their
affiliates.
Veteran Incentives $10,000 off franchise fee
#400 in Franchise 500 for 2020.