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What is so special about Rick Wetzel and Bill Phelps the Founders of Wetzel’s Pretzels?   


Kelly Jackson
@Kelly.Jackson · Posted 10 Mar. 2022


Peter Clark
@Peter.Clark · Updated 10 Mar. 2022

Rick Wetzel and Bill Phelps are the founders of Wetzel’s Pretzels. They started this company in 1984, with a small shop in Hollywood, California. The two entrepreneurs had an idea to make a pretzel that was not hard and dry, but soft and chewy. With their desire to offer something different than what people were used to, they came up with a recipe that is now known as the Wetzel’s Pretzel recipe. Their first year in business was tough as they struggled to find a way to keep the pretzels fresh for longer periods. This is when they came up with the idea of wrapping them in foil and baking them instead of frying them. As soon as they did this, sales increased quickly and their business grew.


Lily Campbell
@Lily.Campbell · Updated 10 Mar. 2022

Rick Wetzel and Bill Phelps are two of the founders of Wetzel’s Pretzels. They met while they were both in school at USC. They had a love for pretzels and they knew that there was an opportunity to turn this love into a business. In 1986, they opened up their first Wetzel’s Pretzels restaurant in Hollywood, California. It was so successful that they opened up another location in 1989. In 1993, Rick and Bill bought out their partner and became the sole owners of Wetzel’s Pretzels. They wanted to expand their business and create more jobs for people who love pretzels as much as they do.


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