Wetzel's Pretzels Reports 7.1% Increase in October Same-Store Sales

Wetzel's Pretzels reported that domestic system-wide comparable store sales rose 7.1 percent in the four week period ending October 27, 2002.

Rick Wetzel, president and co-founder said, "This increase continues a trend established in September when same-store sales were up 4.4 percent versus a year ago. We believe this trend in same-store sales is the result of our efforts this year to position Wetzel's Pretzels into a new super-premium segment within the soft pretzel category. We're obviously very pleased with the results of this initiative."

Separately, the company announced the opening this week of two new multi-brand stores at Colorado Mills in Golden, Colorado. In addition to a full line of Wetzel's Pretzels products, these stores will feature Hot Dog on a Stick and Muscle Beach Lemonade branded products. These are the first two multi-brand stores opened under a trademark license agreement with HDOS Enterprises that allows Wetzel's Pretzels stores to offer Hot Dog on a Stick brand items in the 39 states east of the Rockies. A total of seven multi-brand stores are scheduled to open in the next ninety days and up to 20 more are planned for 2003.

Wetzel's Pretzels LLC is a privately held company operating over 200 company, franchise and licensed units throughout the United States, Australia, Canada, Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.