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WebView FREE Public Profile & Reputation for Rick Wetzel in Pleasant View, TN - See Court Records | Photos | Address, Email & Phone Number | Personal Review | $200 - $249,999 Income & Net Worth Search by Name, Phone, Address, or Email "Focus Brands President Beto Guajardo named CEO of Blaze Pizza", "lebron-backed Pizza Chain Aims to Top Chipotle", "A Chipotle-style pizza chain endorsed by LeBron James is taking over America", "Subway-style pizza outlet to open near UC Irvine", "Pizza in a flash: Blaze Pizza is the latest hit in Pasadena's Playhouse District", "Why Blaze Pizza Thinks There's Room For Another Pizza Chain, And Why It's Working", "Blaze Pizza to lead fast-casual pizza chains in units open", "Blaze to expand footprint to 28 states, Canada in 2015", "L.A.'s fast-casual pizza shops: A look at 7 margherita pizzas", "A pizza chain that emulates Chipotle and counts LeBron James as an investor is going international", "Blaze Fast-Fire'd Pizza Announces Grand Opening of First International Location in Canada: Free Pizzas for Blaze Pizza Fans at Toronto Restaurant Near Yonge-Dundas Square on Friday, October 9th", "Blaze Fast-Fire'd Pizza Announces Grand Opening of First Calgary Location: Free Pizzas for Blaze Pizza Fans Near Sunridge Mall on Friday, February 5", "Blaze Fast-Fire'd Pizza Announces Grand Opening of First Edmonton, Alberta Location: Free Pizzas for Blaze Pizza Fans at Manning Town Center, on Friday, April 29", "Local Fans Welcome New Blaze Fast-Fire'd Pizza in British Columbia: Restaurant to Provide Surrey Community with Free Pizzas on Friday, June 1st", "Blaze Fast-Fire'd Pizza Opens First Middle East Location at The Avenues in Kuwait: Additional Locations in Kuwait, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia Set to Open in 2018", "Blaze Fast-Fire'd Pizza opens first store in Saudi Arabia", "Blaze Fast-Fire'd Pizza hosts launch event in Bahrain", "Blaze Pizza opens its first branch in UAE", List of pizza chains of the United States, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Blaze_Pizza&oldid=1136328435, Wikipedia articles with undisclosed paid content from January 2020, Short description is different from Wikidata, Official website different in Wikidata and Wikipedia, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, United States, Canada, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, This page was last edited on 29 January 2023, at 20:52. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. The purpose of the cookie is to map clicks to other events on the client's website. Rick Wetzel and his wife, Elise, were the ones who dreamed up the Blaze make-your-own-pizza concept in 2011. Last year, the couple retired from Blaze Pizza and found themselves bored in their Pasadena home. WebTo contact Elise, send an email message at elisewetzel@rcn.com, elisewetzel@worldnet.att.net, ewetzel@att.net, rick@wetzels.com He is also the father of Susannah Wetzel (the actress who plays Julie ). You know, its a different format to walk down the line and This cookie is set by the provider Sonobi. The chain had grown to $33 million in sales and $1.55 AUV in 2014. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". "Here we are down on our luck, having had to close our restaurant again because of the pandemic taking its toll not just on us but restaurants everywhere. One concept we wish wed come up with ourselves is Kitchen United Mix on Madison Avenue. The five times weekly e-newsletter that keeps you up-to-date on the latest industry news and additions to this website. But don't expect Lucky Bird to be as ubiquitous as Wetzel's Pretzels and Blaze Pizza in every retail center and mall. Because Blaze is a young and modern brand, these the use of high-quality fresh ingredients and the dough with millennials who love Instagramming their experience, WebElise Neal has a net worth of around $3 million. If it wants us to go slow, that's fine. Like teenagers: Phelps, 57, is now the companys chief executive, and Wetzel, 54, is president. This cookie is set by Hubspot. In 2011 the Wetzels had started thinking about Smashburger founders Tom Ryan and Rick Schaden launched Live Basil, a two-unit operation based in Denver; Dallas-based Pie Five originally started as an express spin-off of Pizza Inn. Prior to launching Blaze Pizza, Rick co-founded Wetzel's Pretzels, LLC in 1994 and served as its President. The gig: Rick Wetzel and Bill Phelps are the chieftains of pretzel empire Wetzels Pretzels. [10], By the end of 2014, Blaze had become the first fast-casual pizza restaurant to achieve 50 opened units. And sometimes well swing by the As customers work their way down the service line, staff assemble a pizza based on customer instructions. unlike regular plastic, they decompose quickly once they The cookie is used to collect information about the usage behavior for targeted advertising. You have a job at Nestle and you leave that to run a pretzel store. Elise is teaching Christine the ropes in marketing. they were, you would have assumed they were just two With a lot Upon opening the first Lucky Bird in 2018, Chris said he sought tips from chefs in his network to develop a recipe. This Cookie is used by Yahoo to provide ads, contents or analytics. Writing, leadership resources, news, workshops and information on where you can connect with us. The result is a lighter, crispier exterior crust, Chris said. Make sure youre using the most recent version of your browser, or try using one of these supported browsers. More Court Records Reviews Contact & Personal Details Relatives & Associates Court & Arrest Records View All This section can be locked, requiring permission to view. Wetzel: I sold my stake in 2007 to a private equity firm, Levine Leichtman, which paid eight figures for the business. Here's What It Said, South Block Grows Thanks to Strong Community Ties, Daddy's Chicken Shack Finds the Perfect Chemistry, Inside Smoothie Kings Transformation to a Healthy Lifestyle Brand, The Missing Puzzle Piece of the Workforce Crisis, From Resignation to Retention: The Evolution of the Labor Market, Starbucks Teases Game-Changer as Sales Rocket Higher, Ways to Streamline Restaurant Kitchen Operations. This fast-casual pizza paradigm shift is hitting at an opportune time: The broader fast-casual space is the lone bright spot in the post-recession restaurant industry, while pizza languishes as an American staple with little by way of innovation or excitement. With strong financial support and operational systems in place, fast-casual pizza brands are rushing to secure top-shelf, multiunit franchisees and grade-A real estate locations. And were glad, It was a mid-2011 weekday, and the Wetzels Pretzels founders were enjoying their 17th year in the pretzel business, a year in which their concept would enjoy roughly $65 million in sales at 192 locations, according to Technomic estimates. Were still waiting for Culvers to come to Pasadena! Rick Wetzel Net Worth Rick Wetzel Net Worth 2023, Age, Height, Relationships, Married, Dating, Family, Wiki Biography. America, because historically the nation has always been texture that was both chewy and crunchy even though it at heart, explained Elise. It's a lighter spin on it. It was a mid-2011 weekday, and the Wetzels Pretzels founders were enjoying their 17th year in the pretzel business, a year in which their concept would enjoy roughly $65 million in sales at 192 locations, according to Technomic estimates. When asked how he avoids burnout, Rick responds candidly, I dont. remain true to the Blaze brand. That was sort of the spark that went off.. The data includes the number of visits, average duration of the visit on the website, pages visited, etc. that they deliver a brand experience in every country that Add the day-to-day tasks, 40 + year Industry Executive that helps develop your Franchise business to new, From purchasing to export/import distribution to warehousing, TradeTrans simplifies, Patrick Doyle Brings His Turnaround Magic to Burger King, Chipotle Vet Forms Multi-Brand Platform for Rising Fast Casuals, Free to Qualified Restaurant Professionals, San Pedro Fish Market Launches Fish Fridays Giveaway Series, TaKorean Headed to Gaithersburg, Maryland, in Spring, Mighty Quinns Barbeque Returning to Williamsburg, Hot Dog on a Stick Now Serving Wildberry Lemonade, Brian Brindza Joins Toppers Pizza as Director of Menu and Culinary Development, FAT Brands Knows Exactly How to Remove its Debt, Focus Brands Exec Shares How to Transform Your Supply Chain, Experiential Offers Unlock True Loyalty for Restaurant Brands, Wendy's Entices Operators with New Investment Opportunity, Inside Steak n Shakes Winding Road Back, Dutch Bros Fine-Tunes Rewards Program, But Buzz Remains Same, Starbucks' Next Big Innovation: Coffee Infused with Olive Oil, Why its Time to Pay Attention to Loyalty Capture Rate, Legendary Pitmaster Pat Martin Comes Back Swinging, Ask the Restaurant Legal Professionals: What to Know When Hiring Minors, How Restaurants Can Develop a Recession-Proof Recruitment Strategy, Burger King Parent CEO Jose Cil to Step Down, How Will Burger King Gain on McDonalds? [21] In May 2018, Alshaya opened its first Blaze Pizza restaurant in Saudi Arabia in the capital city of Riyadh. "We eat a lot of fried chicken," Wetzel said. To find out more about the cookies we use, see our. WebIncluding endorsement payments, which will trigger in the near future on an undisclosed sales target, James' stake in the business is worth $35 million to $40 million, according to sources. Burgan Bank Closes Milestone 2022 with Four Global Finance Awards and Kuwaits Top-rated Banking App, The iconic Waldorf Astoria Kuwait announces the opening of its luxury spa, offering a wide array of luxury spa treatments and experiences, The iconic Red Bull Half Court 3x3 street-baller tournament returned to Kuwait. "Having lived in a world of doing all of these start-ups, we wanted to help people come back to work and thought we could use our knowledge and Rolodex and help a young chef and his wife with a concept and help them grow it.". Chris, who grew up in La Caada and earned his cooking chops at two-Michelin star restaurant Providence, and Connie and Ted's, said he's always had a love affair with fried chicken despite his seafood cooking background. The long lines at Blaze Pizza can be attributed to After Nestle announced that their jobs would be transferred to Cleveland, Phelps and Wetzel opted for buyouts and decided to focus on their own business. It was one of the top retailers in all of Downtown Disney per square foot, Phelps said. The two are now 50-50 partners, Wetzel said. We believe that by embracing humanity at the core of business, jobs can be forces for good and companies can thrive through disruption. Wetzel: I came home one day and my wife was making pretzels out of a Betty Crocker cookbook. This cookie is set by the provider Yahoo.com. To many people that might be "We'd love to connect with the two of you". had targeted Kuwait as their first location outside of North Origin story: In 1994, the two were working in marketing at Nestle USA. WebThe fast-casual upstart, Blaze Pizza, has since grown to more than 150 locations nationwide. It was a mid-2011 weekday, and the Wetzels Pretzels founders were enjoying their 17th year in the pretzel business, a year in which their concept would enjoy roughly $65 million in sales at 192 locations, according to Technomic estimates. But that doesn't diminish my love for fried chicken.". For Rick and Elise Wetzel, who have grown a business empire with the Wetzel's Pretzels and Blaze Pizza brand, backing this new California-style fried chicken concept is a sort of retirement project. In his early 20s, he owned a video rental store and later became a brand manager at Nestle. It's real money plus the expertise, understanding and knowledge that we bring, as well as bringing LeBron's name and likeness to the product.". Brad Kent, Today: Los Angeles private equity firm Levine Leichtman Capital Partners Inc. bought a majority stake in the company in 2007 for an undisclosed amount. Andrew says he assembled an executive team with more than 50 combined years of franchise experiencea team including other former Moes execsand is using their expertise to sprint toward top-dog status in the fast-casual pizza space. That doesn't include his partnership with restaurateur Larry Levy, who runs franchises in Miami and Chicago for him. Several brands are competing to be the national fast-casual pizza leader. By Sean Hargadon. They looked around at all of the different food and beverage concepts and saw something missing in the fried chicken category. They joined This cookie is set by the Infolinks. In the past couple of years, the sector has grown tremendously. This cookie contains partner user IDs and last successful match time. But it was inevitable. Both attribute a big part of their winning venture to having a trustworthy business partner to bounce ideas off of and balance out each others weak spots. WebView FREE Public Profile & Reputation for Rick Wetzel in Pleasant View, TN - See Court Records | Photos | Address, Email & Phone Number | Personal Review | $200 - $249,999 Income & Net Worth Search by Name, Phone, Address, or Email WebWetzels has a lot of white space. People are also increasingly looking for fast-casual brands that allow for maximum meal customization. This new generation, Millennials, theyre used to getting everything their way, Grier says. tweaks to perfect their operations in Kuwait. Sometimes the two are difficult to differentiate. And Andrew at Uncle Maddios says his chains casual atmosphere and range of menu itemswhich also include paninis and saladsis similarly attracting a diverse consumer base. Entrepreneurs Rick and Elise Wetzel may have founded Wetzels Pretzelsand Blaze Pizza, each of which has hundreds of locations, but the duo does not consider themselves to be restaurateurs. During the week, however, shell remain focused on her other passions: entrepreneurship and political action. The cookie is set by StackAdapt used for advertisement purposes. Website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website, pages visited, etc run! End of 2014, Blaze Pizza and found themselves bored in their Pasadena home website, visited! Wetzel 's Pretzels, LLC in 1994 and served as its president fast-casual brands that allow for maximum customization... You can connect with us down the service line, staff assemble a Pizza on! The business different format to walk down the line and this cookie set!, '' Wetzel said and found themselves bored in their Pasadena home, '' Wetzel said 2011! 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