Cold Stone Creamery, Planet Smoothie, and Wetzel’s Pretzel will soon have a presence in Worcester, as a local business owner is working to open a combined location for the three national franchises in a small Main Street commercial condo.
Vikas Rathor of Stoughton appeared before the Worcester Licensing Commission on Thursday to receive approval to open the proposed business in a 3,384-square-foot space at 531 Main St., near The Hanover Theatre and Conservatory for the Performing Arts.
Founded in 1994 in California, this will be the only Wetzel’s Pretzel franchise location in Central Massachusetts when opened. The chain has more than 300 locations nationwide, according to its website.
The store’s opening will mark the return of Planet Smoothie to Central Massachusetts; the franchise previously had a location on Worcester Polytechnic Institute’s campus, but that location closed for repairs in 2020 and never re-opened, according to a Google Maps listing. The Arizona-based franchise was founded in Georgia in 1995 and has more than 100 locations nationwide, according to its website.
The new Cold Stone Creamery location will join Central Massachusetts franchise locations in Leominster, Millbury, and Southborough. The Arizona-based firm was founded in 1988, according to the International Directory of Company Histories produced by St. James Press.
A Stoughton-based entity managed by Rathor purchased the condo for $390,000 in June 2023, according to City of Worcester property records. The condo was given a tax assessment value of $441,700 for 2025.
The business will operate 7 a.m through 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and from 7 a.m. to 1 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.
The Worcester Licensing Commission unanimously approved the business’ operating hours. The business plans on opening in March with a grand opening celebration in April, according to an email from Rathor.
Eric Casey is the managing editor at Worcester Business Journal, who primarily covers the manufacturing and real estate industries.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This article has been updated to provide more information on the location’s opening date.
