Hy-Vee cancels its Wahlburgers orderHy-Vee cancels its Wahlburgers order

Hy-Vee is converting all 79 of its in-store Wahlburgers restaurants back to its own Market Grille brand, a company spokesperson told Supermarket News. The transition is slated to take place during the next few weeks and will include a new Market Grille menu primarily focused on breakfast and burgers.

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Hy-Vee’s transition back to its in-house Market Grille format signals the company’s commitment to offering in-store foodservice, one of the fastest-growing departments in supermarkets across the country. Retailers continue to test and tweak these offerings, including an array of branded concepts, but it’s unclear why the Wahlburgers franchising arrangement didn’t pan out for Hy-Vee. 

A flip-flop on franchising

The transition back to Market Grille marks a reversal for West Des Moines, Iowa-based Hy-Vee, which just two years ago was still converting its in-store Market Grille restaurants to Wahlburgers. (The retailer first announced the move in 2020). Hy-Vee announced a partnership with the celebrity-owned burger chain in 2017 and began opening Wahlburgers restaurants in its stores the following year. It quickly became the largest franchisee in the Wahlburgers chain, which is based in Hingham, Mass. Hy-Vee did not provide a reason for the decision to convert back to the Market Grille concept.

Tina Potthoff, senior VP of communications at Hy-Vee, said the retailer will continue to carry Wahlburgers at Home grocery products at its stores. The line includes fresh and frozen beef, hot dogs, bacon, cheese, pickles and sauces.

A spokesperson for Wahlburgers could not be reached for comment.

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