Dive Brief:
- Wahlburgers, a casual restaurant brand founded by Wahlberg brothers Paul, Donnie and Mark, has partnered with ARKK Food Company to develop Wahlburgers at Home, a line of retail beef products that will include ground beef, pre-formed patties and sliders and brick packs, all made with the Wahlburgers angus blend of brisket, short rib and chuck found on restaurant menus across the U.S., Perishable News reports.
- The beefy products will be available at grocery stores in 26 states and Washington, D.C., located mostly in the East Coast and Midwest regions. They will initially launch over the next month at Hy-Vee, Jewel-Osco, Acme, Safeway, Shaw’s and Winn-Dixie.
- The new beef line strengthens the burger brothers’ relationship with Hy-Vee, which has a franchise agreement to open and operate 26 Wahburgers restaurants in the same markets as its grocery stores, according to the Des Moines Register. The grocer also will offer Wahlburgers in its Market Grille restaurants, the newspaper says.
Dive Insight:
The retail burger offerings are the latest in a number of moves by the Wahlberg brothers in recent months to work with grocers nationwide to bring their brand to a store near you.
The Wahlbergs aren’t the first restaurant owners to bring their wares to grocery shelves. Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts provide packaged products to customers who enjoy their java but can’t make it through the drive-thru every day. And Cracker Barrel’s frozen Macaroni & Cheese Dinners were named a 2017 Pacesetter by food industry marketing consultant IRI, with nearly $47 million in sales last year.
Restaurants may want to strike while the iron is hot, but they should show caution before throwing products onto the grocery shelves. Amy O’Neil, founder and COO of PhaseNextHospitality, told the National Restaurant Association that despite a well-known name, customers still want unique, new flavors. Grocers and restaurants also need to target their market carefully, making sure consumers are willing to pay more for the restaurant product. Competition is stiff, she noted, and restaurants would do well to start with something that’s craveable, in growing demand, and that people want to take home from a restaurant.
The Wahlbergs' celebrity status can only help boost sales. But while the Wahlburger restaurants provide the convenience of dining out today’s busy customers prefer, that popularity may not transfer to the retail Wahlburger burger products, which require customers to schlep home and prepare a home-cooked meal.
With the first Hy-Vee Wahlburger eateries set to open this year, industry leaders will be watching to see whether the power of the Wahlberg name, the popularity of the restaurants, or the deliciousness of their gourmet burgers will be enough to create profitable, long-lasting relationships with big grocers.