Wetzel’s Pretzels launched its Access to Equity Program last year. Daintry McFadden, the first woman of color to complete the program, will hold a grand opening for her first store January 15, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Wetzel’s Pretzels’ Access to Equity Program ended 2023 by graduating its first woman of color, Daintry McFadden. She’s dreamed of owning a franchise since she graduated college, and at 57, she finally got the chance to achieve it.
“I just have this resilience, tenacity and faith that I believed that all things were possible,” said McFadden. “When I signed with the brand, I called it a marriage. I said, ‘I do.’”
Bringing fresh pretzels to customers via food trucks, airports and malls, Wetzel’s has been on an upswing in the snack segment, and part of that journey is Access to Equity. The program—designed to help minority entrepreneurs meet their business goals—includes 25 percent off the franchise fee, job training and networking opportunities.
Wetzel’s Pretzels franchisee Daintry McFadden went through the brand’s Access to Equity Program.
Related: New Wetzel’s Pretzels Program Aims to Boost Franchise Ownership Among Women, Minorities
McFadden said she always felt like she was an entrepreneur. At 25, she tried to franchise with Baskin-Robbins but was ultimately rejected. Baskin-Robbins rejected McFadden 16 times before she was approved, only to discover she didn’t have the capital required. Instead of giving up, she “found resilience” through the experience, she said.
“I learned how to write business plans and kept cash statements,” McFadden said. “You name it, I just became an expert.”
So much so that she began teaching courses on entrepreneurship, including through Ford Motor Company. All the while, she continued applying for franchise opportunities and learning from her failures.
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A member of the Airport Minority Advisory Council, McFadden helped with decision-making for Chicago O’Hare International Airport. At a conference in 2019, she was officially introduced to Wetzel’s. The small snacks sector at O’Hare was underserved, per the airport’s own request for proposal.
“It was the perfect marriage,” said McFadden. “When I brought the idea to Wetzel’s, it was just perfect timing.”
After years of pursuing franchise ownership, McFadden bid for the airport concession business with the Chicago City Council—and was rejected. Undeterred, she continued to work with Wetzel’s, finally opening her first location in Macy’s in Oakbrook, Illinois, on December 20, 2023, with its grand opening slated for January 15.
Daintry McFadden’s first Wetzel’s location, which opened inside a Macy’s in Oakbrook, Illinois.
Through the process, McFadden said Wetzel’s solidified her decision to partner with them. The team helped her reach her goals and find a space, even sticking with her when the initial plan to open on Black Friday of 2022 was delayed.
“They stood by me,” McFadden said. “It’s just been a love affair.”
She hopes this won’t be her only Wetzel’s location, but for now McFadden plans to make this first store her focus. She advised others with the business ownership bug to not give up. McFadden sees her success as more than personal; it’s historic.
“I had a dream, too,” said McFadden. “I have this historic moment.”