Wetzel’s Pretzels franchise
A Wetzel’s Pretzels franchisee operates a bakery selling soft pretzels, hot dogs and drinks. At the end of 2025 there were 458 Wetzel’s Pretzels locations in the US, 423 franchised and 35 company-owned.
- Cost to open
- $189K–$725K
- Franchise fee
- $40,000
- Royalty
- 5%–7%
- Locations, 2025
- 458+101 in 1 yrs
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Company snapshot
- SBA loans
- On the SBA Franchise Directory
From WETZEL'S PRETZELS, LLC’s 2026 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
How much a Wetzel’s Pretzels franchise costs
Opening one bakery costs an estimated $188,500 to $725,450. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
Source: WETZEL'S PRETZELS, LLC, 2026 filing, page 42
Wetzel’s Pretzels franchise fee
The franchise fee is $40,000. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: WETZEL'S PRETZELS, LLC, 2026 filing, page 31
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 7% of adjusted gross revenue for a non-street-front bakery, potentially reduced to 6% in Walmart. Street-front bakeries pay 5%. |
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The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: WETZEL'S PRETZELS, LLC, 2026 filing, page 33
Sales and earnings
Shares figures Wetzel’s Pretzels publishes sales or earnings figures for its locations: 2025 results for qualifying franchised bakeries and concession vehicles, with location types separated. The full tables, with notes on which locations are counted, are in its filing.
Source: WETZEL'S PRETZELS, LLC, 2026 filing, page 81
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 347 (+25) | 40 | – |
| 2024 | 390 (+43) | 36 | – |
| 2025 | 423 (+33) | 35 | 15 |
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.
Source: WETZEL'S PRETZELS, LLC, 2026 filing, page 87
How Wetzel’s Pretzels compares
Of the 17 bakery franchises on this site, Wetzel’s Pretzels is the 2nd cheapest to open and the 8th largest by number of locations.
| Measure | Wetzel’s Pretzels | Typical bakery |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $189K | $428K |
| Closed or left per year | 3.8% | 3.5% |
| Change in franchised locations, 1 yrs | +31.4% | +8.9% |
| Shares earnings figures | Yes | 14 of 17 |
Typical is the median across the 17 brands in bakery franchises.
