Phillips 66 & Wetzel's Pretzels Team Up to Offer C-store Franchise Opportunity

HOUSTON — The Phillips 66 family of brands is teaming with Wetzel's Pretzels to offer a unique franchise opportunity.

Operators can now open a Wetzel's at Phillips 66, Conoco and 76 branded convenience stores.

"We've been impressed with the early success of Wetzel's Pretzels locations at the 76 convenience stores and the benefit this initiative will provide for both brands' growth," said Frank Gonzales, director of non-traditional development at Wetzel's Pretzels. "Our team is excited to provide the convenience and ease of operations to even more franchise investors, and we're determined to 'Bring Pretzels to the People' on a larger scale."

Founded in Redondo Beach, Calif., 25 years ago, Wetzel's Pretzels has a signature southern California vibe and has developed a cult-like following in the communities it serves, the company said.

The store-within-a-store operational model follows the recent success of Ron Reger and Alfred Daher, who opened three Wetzel's Pretzels locations in their 76 branded c-stores within 10 months.

"Phillips 66 is committed to helping owners grow," said Lou Burke, manager of branded sales at Phillips 66. "Wetzel's has a proven franchise business model, so we recognize this opportunity as a great way to drive traffic into stores and generate additional revenue."

Houston-based Phillips 66 is a diversified energy manufacturing and logistics company. Using a network of branded marketers and dealers operating approximately 7,500 outlets, its U.S. marketing business supplies Top Tier detergent gasolines under the Phillips 66, 76 and Conoco brands.