Wetzel's Pretzels was founded in 1994 in Redondo Beach, Calif., by Bill Phelps and Rick Wetzel, whose hand-rolled, baked-fresh soft pretzels quickly drew long lines and led to menu expansion. Today, the company has grown to more than 340 fresh bakeries worldwide, all committed to crafting super-premium pretzels from fresh dough baked in-store throughout the day.