PRETZELMAKER

PRETZELMAKER

Pretzelmaker franchises operate retail restaurants specializing in hand-rolled soft pretzels of various flavors, pretzel dogs, bites, toppings, frozen pretzels, and related beverages and food items under the Pretzelmaker brand. The franchisor offers single-unit franchises for traditional standalone locations, non-traditional venues like food courts, satellites, and multi-unit development agreements, as well as co-branding opportunities with affiliate brands such as Marble Slab Creamery, Great American Cookies, and Hot Dog on a Stick. Their business model focuses on franchising to operators in high-traffic areas like malls and shopping centers, targeting customers seeking quick, indulgent snack options.

129
Locations
$392K–$573K
Investment
Since 2008
Franchising
Food & BeverageBeverly Hills, CAFAT Brands, Inc.www.pretzelmaker.comDisclaimer

Franchise Costs


Franchise Fee
$25,000
Item 5 of FDD
Initial Investment Range
$391,500 $573,000
Low: $391,500High: $573,000
Item 7 of FDD
Royalty Rate
7.00%
of gross sales
Brand Fund
2.00%
Item 6 of FDD
Fixed Monthly Fees
$70 – $125
Item 6 of FDD

7% royalty + 2% ad fund + $70-$125/mo technology fee

Financial Performance


Item 19 Financial Performance

Average Gross Revenue
$0
Median Gross Revenue
$0
Top Quartile Revenue
$0
Bottom Quartile Revenue
$0

Data Based On: 103 Pretzelmaker only and co-branded Great American Cookies U.S. franchised Restaurants open for the full year from January 1, 2024 to December 31, 2024.

* Average gross revenue and median gross revenue were directly extracted from 'Table 1 - Net Sales' for 'Total' All Pretzelmaker Restaurants on Page 2. Revenue top quartile was estimated by taking the average of the minimum and maximum values for the 'Over $850,000' range (highest reported segment) in 'Table 2 - Range of Net Sales' on Page 2. Revenue bottom quartile was estimated by taking the average of the minimum and maximum values for the 'Under $249,999' range (lowest reported segment) in 'Table 2 - Range of Net Sales' on Page 2. A discrepancy was noted: 'Table 1 - Net Sales' reports 103 total units, while the sum of units in 'Table 2 - Range of Net Sales' is 102. Profit-related fields (average_net_income, average_net_profit, average_ebitda, ebitda_margin_pct, best_guess_profit_low, best_guess_profit_high) are set to null because the document explicitly states on Page 5 that it 'omits all operating costs and expenses related to operation of a restaurant except food, paper and store level labor,' making it impossible to accurately determine full profit or EBITDA.

Extracted Item 19 Section

How PRETZELMAKER Compares


Key Insights

  • Top 10 largest franchise system in General Retail
  • One of the lowest SBA loan default rates in General Retail
FranchiseInvestmentFeeRoyaltyLocations
PRETZELMAKER
Current
$392K – $573K$25K7.0%129
ACE HARDWARE$604K – $2.0M$5KN/A4,885
DO IT BEST CORP.$853K – $1.6M$9KN/A3,555
WINDOW WORLD, WORLD OF WINDOWS$123K – $331K$45KN/A209
FLEET FEET, FLEET FEET TRIATHLETE$229K – $545K$45K4.0%192
TECHY$119K – $400K$15K7.0%62
General Retail Average
14 franchises
$521K – $1.0M$108K5.7%

* Comparison based on latest FDD filings. Investment ranges from Item 7, fees from Item 5. Showing top 5 of 14 General Retail franchises by location count.

Locations & Growth


Outlet Growth Over Time

Total outlets at end of each year

Geographic Distribution (2024)

Outlets by state across the United States

Top States
1TX
24
2CT
13
3UT
8
4IA
7
5CA
7
6GA
7
7NY
6
8FL
6
9MN
4
10MA
4
11ND
3
12OH
3
13SC
3
14HI
3
15ID
3

+22 more states

SBA Loan History


Historical SBA 7(a) loan data for PRETZELMAKER franchisees (20102018)

Total Loans
15
Average Loan
$177,720
Total Volume
$2.7M
Default Rate
0.0%

Loans by Year

SBA 7(a) loan activity over time

* Data sourced from SBA 7(a) FOIA loan records. Default rate calculated from charged-off loans.

Franchisee Contacts


128 franchisee contacts on file from official FDD filings.

NameSBA Loan
John Smith
ABC Franchise LLC
$350,000
2023 · Active
John Smith
ABC Franchise LLC
$350,000
2023 · Active
John Smith
ABC Franchise LLC
$350,000
2023 · Active
John Smith
ABC Franchise LLC
$350,000
2023 · Active
John Smith
ABC Franchise LLC
$350,000
2023 · Active

128 Contacts Available

Unlock all PRETZELMAKER franchisee contacts with verified contact information

Due Diligence


Litigation (Item 3)

Franchisee Cases2

Rescission of multi-unit development agreement (Ieman Shahi v. Fatburger NA, 2019) and breach of contract/fraudulent misrepresentation in franchise restaurant sale (P&K Food Market v. Buffalo’s Franchise Concepts, 2018).

Bankruptcy (Item 4)

Bankruptcy HistoryYes

PM Franchising, LLC, parent company FAT Brands Inc., Twin Hospitality Group Inc., and affiliates filed voluntary Chapter 11 petitions on January 25, 2026, in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas (Case No. 26-90198 for PM Franchising, LLC).

System Health (Item 20)

Franchise system changes reported in the most recent fiscal year

Terminations
0
Non-Renewals
0
Reacquired
0
Ceased Ops
12
Transfers
9
Sold to Franchisees
0
Projected New
6

Frequently Asked Questions


The total initial investment to open a PRETZELMAKER franchise ranges from $391,500 to $573,000. This includes a franchise fee of $25,000. Ongoing royalty fees are 7.0% of gross sales.

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