Wetzel's Pretzels is an American chain of fast-food restaurants, specializing in pretzels and hot dogs. The chain has more than 370 locations across the United States, Canada, Central America, Southeast Asia,[1] and formerly in Finland. The chain is mostly located in shopping malls, airports, theme parks, stadiums, and food trucks.[2] The company is headquartered in Pasadena, California.
History
Wetzel's Pretzels was founded in 1994 by Rick Wetzel and Bill Phelps in Pasadena, California. The chain's first location opened that year at the South Bay Galleria in nearby Redondo Beach. Its name was inspired by childhood taunts used by Wetzel's classmates.[3]
In 1997, Wetzel and Phelps took on multiple investors, including John Davis and Gary L. Wilson