The Pretzel Twister franchise
2026 filing · June 24, 2026Fewer locations
The Pretzel Twister at a glance
A shopping mall shop or food truck selling hand-twisted soft pretzels and hand-squeezed lemonade. At the end of 2025 there were 18 The Pretzel Twister locations in the US, all franchised.
The business
- Franchisor
- Mr. Twister Pretzels, Inc
- The company that sells the franchises
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $122K–$220K
- A shopping mall shop
- Franchise fee
- $25,000
- Half the then-current fee for additional units
- Royalty
- 6%
- 6% of gross sales, paid twice a month
- Agreement length
- 5 years
- Territory
- Limited
- Limited protection
Where it is
- US locations, 2025
- 18
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 18
- Company-owned
- 0
- Change in 2 years
- −6
- Franchised locations, 2023–2025
- States
- 11
- Most in Florida, Kentucky and Mississippi
From Mr. Twister Pretzels, Inc’s 2026 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Where it ranks
The Pretzel Twister among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | The Pretzel Twister | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $170,850 | Costs less than 74% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $25,000 | Lower than 82% of franchises |
| RoyaltyShare of sales paid to the franchisor | 6% | Higher than 35% of brands with a set rate |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 18 | Fewer than 52% of franchises |
How much a The Pretzel Twister franchise costs
Opening a shopping mall shop costs an estimated $121,700 to $220,000. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
The biggest costs are leasehold improvements and construction costs ($39,700 to $100,000) and equipment ($36,000 to $45,000). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $25,000 | ||
| Equipment | $36,000 | $45,000 | |
| Leasehold Improvements and Construction Costs | $39,700 | $100,000 | |
| Opening Inventory and Start up Supplies | $7,500 | $15,000 | |
| Lease of Building, Deposit | $2,000 | $7,000 | |
| Opening Advertising | $500 | $2,500 | |
| Initial Training | $500 | $2,000 | |
| Signage | $5,000 | $8,000 | |
| Insurance | $1,000 | $1,500 | |
| Professional Fees | $500 | $2,500 | |
| Additional Funds for three month initial phase | $4,000 | $11,500 | |
| Total | $121,700 | $220,000 | |
Source: Mr. Twister Pretzels, Inc, 2026 filing, page 10
The Pretzel Twister franchise fee
The franchise fee is $25,000, half the then-current fee for additional units. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: Mr. Twister Pretzels, Inc, 2026 filing, page 8
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 6% of gross sales, paid twice a month. |
|---|---|
| Assignment/Transfer Fee | $8,750 |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: Mr. Twister Pretzels, Inc, 2026 filing, page 9
Other fees as filed, from page 9. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
No figures The Pretzel Twister does not share sales or profit figures for its locations. Talking to current and former franchise owners is the usual way to learn what a location earns.
Source: Mr. Twister Pretzels, Inc, 2026 filing, page 25
- Estimate Estimated yearly sales per location
- $230K–$400K
Estimated from the sales that 292 comparable franchises file, matched on industry, format, cost to open, fees and size.
SBA loans to The Pretzel Twister franchisees
Lenders approved 11 SBA 7(a) loans for The Pretzel Twister franchisees from 1995 to 2010, $1.72M in all. All 11 have ended: 9 were paid in full and 2 were charged off.
A charged-off loan is one written off as uncollectible. See SBA franchise loans for how 7(a) and 504 loans work.
Source: SBA 7(a) and 504 loan data, as of September 30, 2026
How The Pretzel Twister compares
Of the 112 bakery franchises on this site, The Pretzel Twister is the 10th cheapest to open and the 54th largest by number of locations.
| Figure | The Pretzel Twister | Typical bakery brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $122K | $341K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $220K | $720K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $25K | $40K | $40K |
| Royalty | 6% | 6% | 6% |
| US locations | 18 | 16 | 21 |
| Closed or left per year | 6.4% | 3.9% | – |
| Change in franchised locations, 2 yrs | −25% | +4.3% | – |
| Shares earnings figures | No | 74 of 112 | 2,147 of 3,352 |
Typical is the median across the 112 brands in bakery franchises; typical franchise, across every brand here.
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned | Opened | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 22 (−2) | 0 | 0 | −2 |
| 2024 | 21 (−1) | 0 | 0 | −1 |
| 2025 | 18 (−3) | 0 | – | – |
Closed or left counts terminations, non-renewals, locations bought back by the franchisor and locations that stopped operating.
See which brands grew most in the fastest-growing franchises rankings.
More in the guides: franchise failure rates.
Source: Mr. Twister Pretzels, Inc, 2026 filing, page 26
Where The Pretzel Twister locations are
At the end of 2025, The Pretzel Twister had franchised locations in 11 states. The most are in Florida, Kentucky and Mississippi.
- Florida4
- Kentucky2
- Mississippi2
- North Carolina2
- Virginia2
- Alabama1
| State | Franchised |
|---|---|
| Florida | 4 |
| Kentucky | 2 |
| Mississippi | 2 |
| North Carolina | 2 |
| Virginia | 2 |
| Alabama | 1 |
| Indiana | 1 |
| Louisiana | 1 |
| Maryland | 1 |
| Ohio | 1 |
All 11 states
| South Carolina | 1 |
|---|
Source: Mr. Twister Pretzels, Inc, 2026 filing, page 27
Who owns The Pretzel Twister?
The Pretzel Twister franchises are sold by Mr. Twister Pretzels, Inc.
From Mr. Twister Pretzels, Inc’s 2026 filing.
Lawsuits and bankruptcy
| Lawsuits and regulatory actions | None. The filing says no litigation has to be disclosed. |
|---|---|
| Bankruptcy | None. The filing says no bankruptcy has to be disclosed. |
Franchisors must disclose lawsuits and bankruptcies involving the company, its parents and affiliates, and its executives. Many cases are routine disputes with franchisees over fees or contracts; read the descriptions in the filing and ask current owners about anything that worries you.
Source: Mr. Twister Pretzels, Inc, 2026 filing, litigation on page 8, bankruptcy on page 8
The Pretzel Twister filings
The figures on this page come from Mr. Twister Pretzels, Inc’s 2026 filing, issued June 24, 2026, on record with the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 filing | June 24, 2026 | NASAA depository | Costs, fees and locations, 2023–2025 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
Other bakery franchises
All bakery franchises
The Pretzel Twister is also on these lists: retail franchises, food franchises.