elise and rick wetzel net worth

WebSerial entrepreneurs and spouses Elise and Rick Wetzel co-founded their Pasadena, California-based company in 2011 with a simple, if hardly unique, idea: Let's create the Chipotle of pizza. Rick studied marketing at the University of Tulsa and earned his MBA from the University of Southern California. Sources interviewed for this story are torn on whether the rise in fast-casual pizza brands will affect major players like Dominos and Papa Johns. But youre right, ours is very much a young voice, has the same spirit and voice that has gotten guests to In the last few years, new pizza brands have sprouted up across the U.S. (especially in Southern California), all with the lofty aspirations of being the national better-pizza leader. Pizza, meanwhile, is in a sort of holding pattern. Lucky Bird's California-style fried chicken isn't as greasy, oily or packed with breading that you might find at other fried chicken spots. LG&L Interview. Their executives all toss around the words artisan, choice, and control and regularly reference other fast-casual categories, like Mexican, sandwich, and burgers, in conversation. On Thursday, the Wetzels and Danes opened a new brick-and-mortar Lucky Bird at 1627 Colorado Blvd. Because Blaze is a young and modern brand, these To many people that might be Unconventional travel with Adnan Juwayhil and his family. 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 ). This new generation, Millennials, theyre used to getting everything their way, Grier says. 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. Founded in 2011 by Elise and Rick Wetzel of Wetzel's Pretzels, Blaze Pizza was modeled after Chipotle's made-to-order approach to serving customers. Wetzel discusses the chains evolution and how NBA star James came to invest in the concept, and what impact hes had on the brand. If youre prepared when something good comes along, then youll be able to take advantage of the opportunity to make something happen. 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To learn about Northwesterns 150 years of women and remarkable individuals like Elise Wetzel present and past whove left their mark on the University and the world, visit the 150 Years of Women website. Join us in building healthier businesses and a better world. that is made in-house with a secret recipe. The Wetzels are veterans The cookie is used to store information of how visitors use a website and helps in creating an analytics report of how the website is doing. Wetzel, whom Phelps calls a serial entrepreneur, just launched a fast-casual restaurant concept called Blaze Pizza this year with locations in Pasadena and Irvine. "We're doing chicken in a California way," Wetzel said. It's a lighter spin on it. The Wetzels were hardly alone in realizing that pizza was the next fast-casual frontier. starting from the pizza-making to the dining. "We eat a lot of fried chicken," Wetzel said. A video filmed in April of James behind a Blaze Pizza counter dressed up undercover as "Ron" garnered millions of YouTube hits and much news coverage. During the week, however, shell remain focused on her other passions: entrepreneurship and political action. Rick is providing his distribution, marketing and agency connections. This cookie contains partner user IDs and last successful match time. The original Lucky Bird, founded by Chris Dane in 2018, will remain at the Grand Central Market, but the new 3,000-square-foot second location will offer several new menu items, Dane said. So now, the two power couples partner and embark on a venture to add their "California-comfort food and California-inspired fried chicken" into the highly competitive fried chicken marketplace. Im really getting tired of that, says Randy Grier, CEO of Pie Five parent Pizza Inn Holdings, with a laugh. Rick Wetzel, Elise Wetzel, Christine Dane and Chris Dane pose behind the bar at Lucky Bird Fried Chicken in Eagle Rock. You have a job at Nestle and you leave that to run a pretzel store. "And then Christine gets this message.". All these restaurants in townAgnes, Entre Nous, Union, Bacchus Kitchen, AltaEatsare chef-run restaurants. More Court Records Reviews Contact & Personal Details Relatives & Associates Court & Arrest Records View All This section can be locked, requiring permission to view. That doesn't include his partnership with restaurateur Larry Levy, who runs franchises in Miami and Chicago for him. Blaze Pizza is located in the Grand Plaza The Avenues, Murouj Phase 3, and Ahmadi Park. When asked how he avoids burnout, Rick responds candidly, I dont. But I think that what This cookie is used to measure the number and behavior of the visitors to the website anonymously. 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. 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. Once youve set up shop in Santa Monica, downtown, and West Hollywood, this is the place youre going to drop a restaurant. No one was serving high-quality fried chicken in an approachable and casual setting. They immediately started sketching out plans for a build-your-own pizza shop. The cookie is set by StackAdapt used for advertisement purposes. In partnership with Alshaya, Blaze opened its first location outside of North America in the Middle Eastern nation of Kuwait in March 2018. With the Wetzels' expertise, backing, knowledge, connections and Chris Dane's cooking chops, Lucky Bird is transforming. I probably spend more waking hours with Bill than I actually spend with my wife.. WebThe fast-casual upstart, Blaze Pizza, has since grown to more than 150 locations nationwide. 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. Despite the fact that no brand has even cracked the 30-unit mark, the better-pizza category already accounts for hundreds, if not thousands, of units in development across the country. "We're paying it forward," he said. WebThe chain had grown to $33 million in sales and $1.55 AUV in 2014. I asked them if they expected this level of success WebAll Rick and Elise Wetzel wanted was to have some pizza for lunch. Like teenagers: Phelps, 57, is now the companys chief executive, and Wetzel, 54, is president. expansion model. Rick studied marketing at the University of Tulsa and earned his MBA from the University of Southern California. in Their newest project, Taco Social, will take an eclectic approach to the taco, with creative spins on the L.A. staple like banh mi, shrimp poboy, and Nashville hot chicken tacos. America, because historically the nation has always been that pizza as a concept is very translatable. "I'd sit with her for hours, and I'm catching things I didn't know about marketing and brands.". 10,000, including franchise store employees. Theyre used to directing what they want because of the technology theyve grown up with, and having those options and choices we think is a big win.. This cookie is set by the provider Yahoo.com. "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.". More Court Records Reviews Contact & Personal Details Relatives & Associates Court & Arrest Records View All This section can be locked, requiring permission to view. The packaging has been sustainable This cookie is used for promoting events and products by the webiste owners on CRM-campaign-platform. And with no obvious restaurant suitors in their Pasadena, California, hometown, the pair ended up at Chipotle on that fateful day. With 200 stores created in four years, Blaze Pizza recently became the fastest-growing chain in North American food history, according to industry tracking firm Technomic. but people who are young at heart, young in age or young [16] The first Canadian location was opened in Toronto in October 2015,[17] followed by openings a few months later in Calgary in February 2016[18] and Edmonton in April 2016. We like to say, this is my other spouse, Wetzel said. 88 This cookie is set by Hubspot and is used for tracking visitors. This cookie is used by HubSpot to keep track of the visitors to the website. All Rick and Elise Wetzel wanted was to have some pizza for lunch. By Sean Hargadon. The concept is definitely a hit being parents and so were very good at keeping our But while its common for new operators to pay lip service to their pie-in-the-sky goals, fast-casual pizza can actually put its money where its mouth is; the fledgling category is built on the backs of industry veterans with resumes as long and varied as the toppings bars inside their restaurants. So, you will see older people and little Or, Whos going to be Five Guys, whos going to be Smashburger? I don't have an 80-year-old grandmother who passed down her 100-year-old cast iron or secret recipe. Christine was shocked. Pasadena Magazines Women in Business Luncheon 2023. Share this Northwestern story with your friends via Great work Elise! As he contemplates how he leads his team, Rick excitedly alludes to a corkboard he has in his office full of sticky notes with meaningful quotes and leadership tips. WebIn 2012, Rick Wetzel set out to do the improbable: convince Americans, who purchase an estimated 3 billion pizzas each year, to buy even more. Wetzel first learned to think about consumer behavior when she studied economics as an undergrad and earned her MBA from the Kellogg School of Management, where she was part of the 28% Club, a tongue-in-cheek reference to the percentage of women students at Kellogg when she attended. Each category seems to play out with a large player, a strong competitor, and then the regionals.. Once they closed on the building in Eagle Rock, Wetzel said that his wife Elise began looking into all of the different fried chicken businesses and concepts before discovering a small stall at the Grand Central Market in downtown Los Angeles: Lucky Bird. Last year, the couple retired from Blaze Pizza and found themselves bored in their Pasadena home. The main purpose is targeting and advertising. This cookie is set by the provider Infolinks. "We want it to be a step above fast-casual.". PublicPrivate Court, Arrest or Criminal Records Rick was quick to say, This cookie is set by the provider Bidr. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. Rick Wetzel is They really do love pizza. The ID is used for targeting Ads to the user. Never miss a Northwestern Magazine story: Get the latest stories from the magazine in your inbox six times per year. [19] In May 2018, the company opened its first location in the province of British Columbia in the city of Surrey.[20]. values were all built into the companys vision and way Wetzel: I sold my stake in 2007 to a private equity firm, Levine Leichtman, which paid eight figures for the business. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. "They are absolutely wonderful.". 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. I grew up eating it. Rick Wetzel is that pizza as a concept is very translatable. Pasadena is kind of this Midwestern town plunked down in the middle of the L.A. metropolis. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. Poet Natasha Trethewey Seeks Soul Restoration. the fastest growing restaurant chain ever. This cookie is used for advertising purposes. Musks master plan for Tesla is built around sustainable energy economy, What to expect from Elon Musks third master Tesla plan, Drugmaker Eli Lilly to slash insulin prices, Before and after photos from space show storms effect on California reservoirs, Dramatic before and after photos from space show epic snow blanketing SoCal mountains, The chance of a lifetime: Five friends ski the tallest mountain in Los Angeles, Best coffee city in the world? Pasadena is a tentpole of the San Gabriel Valley. So those getting into this market really need to do their homework and really need to understand what consumers are looking for from their concepts and who their target buyers are.. This information is them used to customize the relevant ads to be displayed to the users. We met up with co-founders Elise and Rick Wetzel to find out more about their trail-BLAZE-ing (sorry, not sorry) success. WebElise Neal has a net worth of around $3 million. WebEntrepreneurs Rick and Elise Wetzel may have founded Wetzels Pretzels and Blaze Pizza, each of which has hundreds of locations, but the duo does not consider themselves to be restaurateurs. Phelps still owns a 20% share, while Wetzel holds a smaller stake. This cookie register a unique ID which identifies the user browser from visiting the webistes. WebWetzel first learned to think about consumer behavior when she studied economics as an undergrad and earned her MBA from the Kellogg School of Management, where she was part of the 28% Club, a tongue-in-cheek reference to the percentage of women students at Kellogg when she attended. Were also parents and we love Including 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. We love what theyre doing over there, especially the new Kitchen United MIX that combines several restaurants under one roof. tables at The Avenues branch. Happy volunteering! And so, we Make sure youre using the most recent version of your browser, or try using one of these supported browsers. old and have 325 restaurants in five countries. I think those two customers are completely different; the uses are completely different.. It looks like you may be using a web browser that we dont support. "I wanted to create a homage to fried chicken, something that we can call our own," Chris said. Companies new and old are taking cues from Chipotles use of high-quality ingredients and customization, but more importantly, theyre realizing the potential that fast casual offers in reinventing an American staple. He says guests want to watch their meals being made, want to see it go in and out of the oven. Most are focusing on a personal-sized, Neapolitan style of pizzacharacterized by a light, thin, flaky crustand offering a laid-back, modern dining room and beer and wine services. This cookie is set by bidr.io for advertisement purposes. "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. 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 Download it here. This cookie is used to serve the user with relevant advertisement based on real time bidding. The purpose of this cookie is to synchronize the ID across many different Microsoft domains to enable user tracking. [12] The company planned to have at least 500 locations by 2020. This cookie is set by the provider bidr.io. [22] In September 2018, Alshaya opened its first Blaze Pizza restaurant in Bahrain. It seems to be the right balance of service, convenience, speed, and quality, if you will, that just makes the whole fast-casual segment, regardless of the product, very popular to consumers. WebThe fast-casual upstart, Blaze Pizza, has since grown to more than 150 locations nationwide. Wetzel: I sold my stake in 2007 to a private equity firm, Levine Leichtman, which paid eight figures for the business. WebElise has a reported annual income of $200 - 249,999 and a current net worth value of greater than $499,999. [9] During the first year of operation, the Irvine location grossed about $1.8 million and the Pasadena location grossed about $2.5 million. Like teenagers: Phelps, 57, is now the companys chief executive, and Wetzel, 54, is president. Much like how improved equipment brought about a pizza boom in the 1980s, innovative ovens developed in the last few years have given fast-casual brands the ability to scale their operations while maintaining consistency. This Cookie is used by Yahoo to provide ads, contents or analytics. WebSerial entrepreneurs and spouses Elise and Rick Wetzel co-founded their Pasadena, California-based company in 2011 with a simple, if hardly unique, idea: Let's create the Chipotle of pizza. Now Blaze is gunning for the pizza delivery giants, introducing larger, shareable sizes. But it was inevitable. Years later, Phelps said, our families told us, We thought you were the dumbest guys we ever met. [But] Dominos and Papa Johns and the delivery guys, theyre not going anywhere. to join their team, he was already the owner of a very And a way to give back. 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. Elise Wetzel, the co-founder of Blaze Pizza and wife of Wetzel's Pretzels co-founder Rick Wetzel, wanted to learn more about Lucky Bird. WebWetzel first learned to think about consumer behavior when she studied economics as an undergrad and earned her MBA from the Kellogg School of Management, where she was part of the 28% Club, a tongue-in-cheek reference to the percentage of women students at Kellogg when she attended. in Eagle Rock. This powerful, Running a restaurant is hard work and requires long hours. The brand has kind of flown under the radar for years, and now its at a point where we have this incredible awareness out there. who they are and what they have done. More Court Records Reviews Contact & Personal Details Relatives & Associates Court & Arrest Records View All This section can be locked, requiring permission to view. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. 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. "LeBron and I have always been about finding companies that we truly believe in and putting real money into them," Carter said. believe us, check out #blazepizza on social media. Joshua Siegel "When he invested in us so early on, he established us as the market leader," Wetzel said. that pizza as a concept is very translatable. It contains the domain, utk, initial timestamp (first visit), last timestamp (last visit), current timestamp (this visit), and session number (increments for each subsequent session). Only six pizza brands made it into the QSR 50 this yearPizza Hut, Dominos, Papa Johns, Little Caesars, Papa Murphys, and CiCisand the three fastest-growing outside-the-home pizza categories are C-stores, grocery stores, and price clubs, according to The NPD Group. elise and rick wetzel net worth . Being in the better-pizza category and being the trailblazer in the better-pizza category is a very appealing proposition.. That name: They wrestled with finding a name that could be trademarked. two restaurants and now they are a little over six years Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Whos going to be the Chipotle, whos going to be the Qdoba, whos going to be the regionals? he says. at heart, explained Elise. The Rose Bowl was created as a marketing stunt to get people from Michigan and Wisconsin and Ohio to come out here in January and see how nice the weather is. It register the user data like IP, location, visited website, ads clicked etc with this it optimize the ads display based on user behaviour. Several brands are competing to be the national fast-casual pizza leader. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. Early this year, the Wetzels bought a 5,000-square-foot building in Eagle Rock and wanted to find a business to fill it. For James and Carter, the true upside of their investment might not be close to being realized. when they were first starting out. The data includes the number of visits, average duration of the visit on the website, pages visited, etc. 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. Sharing the companys financial information and always looking for the silver lining in difficult situations contribute to Ricks leadership style. We only know one speed and that is go very fast. I know, I have remain true to the Blaze brand. In addition, the popularity of Chik-fil-A and Raising Cane's has soared in recent years. Who can help student-athletes cash in. forces in 2017 after a couple of years of discussion and 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 Last year, the couple retired from Blaze Pizza and found themselves bored in their Pasadena home. The main purpose of this cookie is targeting, advertesing and effective marketing. The cookies is set by ownerIQ for the purpose of providing relevant advertisement. This cookie is installed by Google Analytics. A friend who was a marketing consultant finally pointed out the obvious that not using Wetzel and Pretzel would be a complete waste. "I want this to be an elevated experience and not just a fast casual place," he said. Including 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. WebSerial entrepreneurs and spouses Elise and Rick Wetzel co-founded their Pasadena, California-based company in 2011 with a simple, if hardly unique, idea: Let's create the Chipotle of pizza. Now we have dining options close to home that are as good as the Arts District and Westside. Learn More. PublicPrivate Court, Arrest or Criminal Records a signature, then as they progress down the assembly tweaks to perfect their operations in Kuwait. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. People are also increasingly looking for fast-casual brands that allow for maximum meal customization. This cookie is set by the provider Infolinks. The chain had grown to $33 million in sales and $1.55 AUV in 2014. In his early 20s, he owned a video rental store and later became a brand manager at Nestle. You know, its a different format to walk down the line and "It was a great partnership with McDonald's, we did some great things on television," James said during an appearance on Carter's web series, "Kneading Dough." [11] At that time, the company had commitments with franchise partners to open 343 restaurants in 39 states. Wetzel said he envisions Lucky Bird similar to high-quality eateries like Mendocino Farms and Tender Greens. The domain of this cookie is owned by Rocketfuel. It's not heavy. As for their success in Kuwait, Elise said We knew WebWetzels has a lot of white space. Webelise and rick wetzel net worthdoes keegan allen have a child 26th February 2023 / in west warwick viewpoint / by / in west warwick viewpoint / by The rest of the better-pizza category is littered with familiar faces, fat wallets, and operational know-how. The brand has kind of flown under the radar for years, and now its at a point where we have this incredible awareness out there. Like teenagers: Phelps, 57, is now the companys chief executive, and Wetzel, 54, is president. As customers work their way down the service line, staff assemble a pizza based on customer instructions. Rick also worked as a brand manager at Nestle for seven years. The main purpose of this cookie is advertising. It was one of the top retailers in all of Downtown Disney per square foot, Phelps said. WebIn 2012, Rick Wetzel set out to do the improbable: convince Americans, who purchase an estimated 3 billion pizzas each year, to buy even more. But one [segment] that is forecast to grow at a double-digit rate over the 10-year period is fast casual.. get inspired by the people ahead of them. Wachter was provided a look at the company through movie producer John Davis, who had invested in food businesses, including Wetzel's Pretzels. He adds that the dough used for the thin-crust Neapolitan style bakes much quicker than traditional crusts. price of entry in the market today, Rick quickly added. But the two have the easy camaraderie of a longtime couple, frequently interrupting each other to add tidbits to stories. The cookie is set by embedded Microsoft scripts. welcoming and very passionate about their work. line, begin adding and taking away ingredients, or they The cars were all WebThe chain had grown to $33 million in sales and $1.55 AUV in 2014. that they deliver a brand experience in every country that Elise said, We have a pizza The duo are very proud of the fact that whether you insisted on using Extra Virgin Olive oil to achieve the best 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 Blaze Pizza doesnt just have the Wetzels Pretzels success to tout; executive chef Bradford Kent is one of the most highly acclaimed pizza chefs in the country, and the brand counts former California first lady Maria Shriver, basketball superstar LeBron James, Boston Red Sox chairman Tom Werner, and Panda Express founder Andrew Cherng among its investors. The cups have always been plant-based and sustainable.

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