---
title: "Wetzel’s Pretzels Names New CEO"
url: https://burnaze.com/article/49449864-e7a8-49b6-a621-2ba824c2f5cb
source: "1851 Franchise"
original_url: https://1851franchise.com/wetzels-pretzels-names-new-ceo-2708789
category: "Snacks & dessert"
industry: "Restaurants"
segment: "Snacks & dessert"
topics: ["People"]
published: 2019-01-04T20:15:32.000Z
modified: 2026-11-01T02:31:27.768Z
image: https://newimage.1851franchise.com/cdn-cgi/image/quality=85,format=webp,width=1280,height=720/story/featureImage/b66ca53f364579527054e36b67bf4d849347.jpg
---

# Wetzel’s Pretzels Names New CEO

**TL;DR:** Wetzel's Pretzels has named Jennifer Schuler as its new CEO, who plans to add 25-30 units in the next few years. The brand currently has 340 units, most of which are franchised.

*originally published in 1851 Franchise on 2019-01-04. [Read the original](https://1851franchise.com/wetzels-pretzels-names-new-ceo-2708789).*

## Story

After more than two decades, Wetzel’s Pretzels has a new CEO. According to a recent Nation’s Restaurant News article, brand president Jennifer Schuler will take over as CEO for co-founder Bill Phelps, who has served in the role for the last 25 years.

Schuler, who assumed the role on Jan. 1, becomes just the second CEO in the brand’s history. She joined Wetzel’s Pretzels in 2014 as CMO before becoming brand president in 2017.

The California-based pretzel chain currently has 340 units, most of which are franchised, operating across the country. Schuler, who owns two franchise units in the Mall of America in Minnesota herself, told Nation’s Restaurant News that she plans to add 25-30 units in 2019 with a focus on premium shopping center locations and non-traditional venues like airports and stadiums.

## Entities

- 1851 Franchise (publication)
- Restaurants (sector)
- unit expansion (topic)
- franchising (topic)
- Wetzel's Pretzels (company)
- Bill Phelps (person)
- Jennifer Schuler (person)
- ceo change (topic)

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Originally reported by 1851 Franchise (https://1851franchise.com/wetzels-pretzels-names-new-ceo-2708789). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/49449864-e7a8-49b6-a621-2ba824c2f5cb).