PRETZELMAKER® OPENS FIRST LOCATION IN ASIA

Asia location

Global Franchise Group® announces the opening of Pretzelmaker® in the Philippines bringing fresh handmade pretzel products to Metro Manila

ATLANTA – OCT. 10, 2018 – Global Franchise Group® (GFG), LLC, the franchisor of Pretzelmaker®, is proud to announce the opening of a new Pretzelmaker location in Alabang, Metro Manila, Philippines – the brand’s first location in Asia. Through a Master Franchise agreement with Vavel Foods, Inc., Pretzelmaker’s fresh handmade pretzel products will available at Festival Mall Alabang. Vavel Foods plans to open 14 additional Pretzelmaker locations throughout the Philippines.

“Pretzelmaker’s first location in Asia is symbolic of the popularity of pretzels and the rise of snacking internationally,” said Chris Dull, President and CEO of GFG. “We are proud of the expansion of the Pretzelmaker brand and our global reputation. We look forward to working with Vavel to open more stores across the Philippines.”

Pretzelmaker at Festival Mall in Alabang is located in a bustling retail area and offers the brand’s signature line-up of hand-rolled pretzels, Pretzel Bites, Pretzel Dogs, dipping sauces and beverages including all-natural lemonades. In addition, Pretzelmaker Philippines is exclusively launching Cream Cheese Stuffed Bites in three varieties: Almond Crunch, Cinnamon Sugar and Garlic Seasoning.”

The store officially opened on October 1, 2018 and will be open during regular Festival Mall hours.

“We decided to open Pretzelmaker in the Philippines because the delicious hand-rolled pretzel products far surpass the competition and we knew customers would love them,” said Migo Ochoa, General Manager of Pretzelmaker Philippines. “As demonstrated by the success of our Grand Opening, the community is very excited to have a Pretzelmaker at the mall and we are very happy to be providing a new twist on snacking options for busy shoppers.”

For more information on Pretzelmaker Philippines, please follow the location’s official social media accounts:@pretzelmakerph on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and use the official hashtag #pretzelmakerph to learn more about other promotions and announcements.

Pretzelmaker has 70 international locations in Canada, Guam, Saudi Arabia, Mexico and now the Philippines. To find a location near you, visit our website or join us on social media: follow @pretzelmaker on Twitter; add @pretzelmakerpics on Instagram; follow “Pretzelmaker” on Snapchat; or become a fan of the brand on Facebook.

About Pretzelmaker®Visit Pretzelmaker
Since 1991, Pretzelmaker® has specialized in serving fresh baked, hand-rolled soft pretzel products, dipping sauces and beverages. Long recognized as an innovator in their industry, the brand is credited with inventing the popular Pretzel Dog, Mini Pretzel Dogs, and the portable Pretzel Bites. Following integration in 2010, the Pretzelmaker® brand now also includes Pretzel Time®. Pretzelmaker® is currently the second largest soft pretzel concept in the United States and is also rapidly expanding worldwide with locations in Canada, Guam, Saudi Arabia and Mexico. Pretzelmaker has recently introduced a new twist to the brand, the Fresh Twist by Pretzelmaker® concept. Fresh Twist by Pretzelmaker® is perfect for colleges/universities, airports and transportation centers. The menu offers breakfast sandwiches on pretzel buns, Cinnamon Toast Pretzel Sticks, Pretzel Flatbread Pizzas and Pepperoni Pretzel Rolls in addition to its fresh hand-rolled Pretzels, Pretzel Bites, Pretzel Dogs and all-natural lemonades and smoothies. To learn more, visit our franchise site.

About Global Franchise Group, LLCVisit Global Franchise Group
Global Franchise Group, LLC is a strategic brand management company with a mission of championing franchise brands and the people who build them. The company owns a portfolio of franchise brands that includes six primary Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) franchise concepts: Great American Cookies®, Hot Dog on a Stick®, Marble Slab Creamery®, MaggieMoo’s Ice Cream & Treatery®, Pretzelmaker® and Round Table Pizza®. The brands are managed by GFG Management, LLC, a subsidiary of Global Franchise Group, LLC. Global Franchise Group, LLC is a portfolio company of Levine Leichtman Capital Partners, an independent investment firm, with approximately $9 billion of capital under management and substantial franchise management experience.

Annica Conrad

Annica Conrad
Chief Marketing Officer

Annica has more than 20 years of award-winning marketing experience and has been with GFG for 3 years. She joined the company from Mellow Mushroom Pizza Bakers where she was Vice President, Brand Development. In this role, Annica was responsible for the rebirth and growth in popularity of the 42-year-old eclectic brand through smart menu design and development, implementation of the Mellow Mushroom loyalty app and creation and rollout of its first online ordering system. Before her time with Mellow Mushroom, Annica was Vice President of Marketing for Mcalister’s Corporation and she spent the early part of her career at a prominent advertising agency in Mobile Alabama. She is graduate of Samford University in Birmingham where she earned her Bachelors in Marketing and MBA in Economics.

Sam Patterson
Chief Financial Officer

Patterson came to Global Franchise Group in April 2020 from FOCUS Brands where he served as Senior Vice President of Accounting. For the last eleven years, he was responsible for leading financials for Cinnabon, Carvel, Schlotzsky’s, Moe’s Southwest Grill, McAlister’s Deli, Auntie Anne’s and Jamba Juice. He directed the organization through the transfer and integration of all accounting back-office functions for Auntie Anne’s from Pennsylvania, McAlister’s Deli from Mississippi, and Jamba Juice from Texas to Atlanta and converted a brand-centric accounting structure into a shared services organization. Before his time with FOCUS, he was Senior Vice President & Corporate Controller for Movie Gallery/Hollywood Video (NASDAQ: MOVI & MVGR), Vice President and Corporate Controller for Republic National Cabinet Corporation, and Corporate Controller for Wolverine Tube, Inc. (NYSE: WLV). He is a Certified Public Accountant and a Certified Management Accountant, holds a master’s in business administration from Auburn University, and is a graduate of the University of Texas, Tyler.