Wetzel's Pretzels and Erajaya Food & Nourishment Announce Relationship

Launching Major Expansion of Pretzel Brand into Asia, Erajaya Food & Nourishment Secures Exclusive Rights for Indonesia

JAKARTA, Indonesia, Oct. 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Wetzel's Pretzels (Wetzel's), the fun-loving Southern California-based pretzel brand, recently signed a deal to develop the Indonesian market with PT Era Boga Pretzel and bring the brand into the country. This strategic agreement marks Wetzel's Pretzels first foray into the market, expanding its presence and offering Indonesian consumers a taste of its iconic pretzels.

As part of this new market entry, this milestone signifies Wetzel's Pretzels international growth and appeal and the introduction of its iconic pretzels to a new global audience.

PT Era Boga Pretzel, a part of Erajaya Food & Nourishment and a subsidiary of the publicly traded Erajaya Swasembada Tbk ("Erajaya"), will develop and operate Wetzel's Pretzels stores in Indonesia. Erajaya Food & Nourishment, a renowned retail player in multiple verticals, including food and beverage, currently operates popular concepts such as Paris Baguette, Bacha Coffee, Sushi Tei, and GrandLucky grocery stores.

"Wetzel's Pretzels embodies a fun, exciting concept offering freshly hand-rolled and baked premium pretzels, and we are thrilled to bring this iconic Californian brand to Jakarta. This also marks Erajaya Food & Nourishment's debut in presenting the grab-and-go stall format, enabling us to reach a broader audience and bring our offerings to new market segments. Our commitment remains focused on delivering innovative, high-quality products to Indonesia through exciting and inspiring brands," explained Gabrielle Halim, CEO of Erajaya Food & Nourishment.

Like all Wetzel's Pretzels' locations, the stores coming to Indonesia offer shoppers the same fresh, high-quality pretzels they have come to expect at traditional mall locations. With over 400 bakeries globally, and now expanding into Indonesia, Wetzel's Pretzels demonstrates the adaptability of its concept, featuring buildout designs suitable for malls, kiosks, food trucks, and convenience stores that seamlessly fit each footprint. Wetzel's Pretzels continues to innovate its concept by 'Bringing Pretzels to the People' in diverse settings, creating various revenue streams for franchisees around the world.

"We are thrilled for the opportunity to bring our fun-loving Wetzel's Pretzels brand to the market of Indonesia. Erajaya's impressive business experience, their comprehensive F&B knowledge, and their passion to bring high quality products and experiences to their consumers make them the ideal master franchisee to develop the brand in Indonesia. Erajaya shares our passion to deliver our hand rolled, freshly baked, served hot from the oven soft pretzel offerings and our mouthwatering, delicious lemonade beverages in fun vibrant bakeries,' said Eddy Jimenez, Sr. Vice President of International Operations and Development at Kahala Brands. "We are excited to work together with Erajaya as they launch and develop Wetzel's Pretzels throughout the market, bringing our fun brand, great vibes, and delicious pretzels to all consumers in Indonesia."

Wetzel's Pretzels has been sharing its signature handheld happiness ever since its founding in Pasadena, California in 1994. The brand continues to attract a loyal following in communities across the globe through its cool, SoCal feel and crave-worthy snacks that cultivate special moments of pure pretzel bliss between friends, family, and colleagues. Pretzel fans in Indonesia can now indulge in fresh and portable iconic favorites, like the Wetzel's Original Pretzel and refreshing frozen granitas, or satisfy their sweet tooth cravings with perfectly baked Cin-A-Bitz.

About Wetzel's Pretzels:
Providing a fun, fresh take on soft pretzels, Wetzel's Pretzels was founded in 1994 by Bill Phelps and Rick Wetzel in Pasadena, California. Drawing fans to its mouth-watering, portable snacks that are hand-rolled, baked fresh and served hot from the oven, word quickly spread about the delicious West Coast brand. Today, Wetzel's Pretzels has grown to more than 400 locations continuing to cultivate fanatics around the world with its SoCal vibes and "gram-worthy" snacks. As the nation's leading pretzel chain, the franchise has received numerous accolades, most recently being named on Yelp's 2024 Fastest Growing Brands, alongside Franchise Business Review's 2024 Top Franchises, 2024 Top Franchises for Women, and Top Culture100 lists.

About Erajaya Food & Nourishment ("EFN"):
Erajaya Food & Nourishment is a division within the Erajaya Group that operates in the food & beverages (F&B) industry and in consumer product supply, distribution, and retail. EFN owns, operates, and manages restaurants, cafés, supermarkets, and grocery stores that prioritize high-quality products, internationally flavored dishes, household goods, and premium daily necessities. Indonesian consumers love several brands under EFN, including Wetzel's Pretzels, Paris Baguette, Bacha Coffee, Curry Up, GrandLucky Superstore, and Sushi Tei Group. EFN has plans to open several new outlets in 2024.

SOURCE Wetzel's Pretzels