Once-Popular Burger Chain Abruptly Shutters 79 Locations Amid Struggles
Grocery chain Hy-Vee is closing down 79 Wahlburgers restaurant locations inside its stores and replacing them with Market Grille, the company says. Hy-Vee initially replaced some of their Market Grille locations with Wahlburgers in 2020, and is now going back to just Market Grille again. "Beginning Feb. 4, all Hy-Vee restaurants will offer a new breakfast menu. A new lunch and dinner menu will roll out throughout the month of February," the chain says in a press release. "The new menus will bring back fan favorites, like Hy-Vee Market Grille burgers, BLT and club sandwiches, and pork tenderloin sandwiches, while still offering popular items like wings and wontons."
Wahlburgers, owned by Paul, Donnie, and Mark Wahlburg, will now have just 40 locations nationwide. The burger chain was apparently already unhappy about sales inside the Hy-Vee locations. "We are growing restaurants," Wahlburgers CEO Randy Sharpe told Restaurant Business Magazine. "We're not going to be in the grocery business. It's best that everyone stay in what their skill sets are and move on."
Hy-Vee says the decision was made based on customer feedback. "Hy-Vee designed the new menus to offer a wider variety of choices for families, individuals and breakfast groups at an affordable price," Hy-Vee assistant vice president of communications Dawn Buzynski told Argus Leader. "The change is based on feedback from customers wanting more variety in our restaurant offerings."
Hy-Vee customers seem to approve of the decision. "At best it's been good but mediocre and overpriced. At worst, it's been subpar with a long wait and bad service. I gave them too many tries, so you don't have to," one Redditor said of Wahlburgers in Des Moines, Iowa. "I gave it a chance once and was served cold wings, nah never again," said another.
Some customers are hoping this will be the last time Hy-Vee flirts with celebrity partnerships. "Does anybody remember when Curtis Stone was with HyVee? Same thing happened there too. Celebrity products too High-priced never sold. I just wish HyVee would be a grocery store again. I wish people would forget about it and just let it be a grocery store," one Redditor commented.
The new Market Grille locations will have more options for customers looking for a quick bite while shopping. "All Market Grille locations will offer both dine-in and carry-out service, as well as third-party delivery. Most locations will have counter service where customers order at the counter and staff will bring their freshly made order to their table," Hy-Vee says. "Transition will happen across Hy-Vee's region in phases starting this week. After the transition, Hy-Vee will have a total of 221 Market Grille and Market Grille Express locations across the Midwest."
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