If you've never tried Wahlburgers, the hamburger joint founded by Paul Wahlberg and his famous brothers Donnie and Mark, you had better try it soon because the chain is leaving Missouri and one of the most popular grocery stores in the Midwest.

Restaurant Business reports that Hy-Vee is closing 79 Wahlburgers locations in its stores and replacing them with its own Market Grille concept. The publication says the closures will erase much of the burger chain because most Wahlburgers are in Hy-Vee stores. 

It may be too late if you're like me and have wanted to try Wahlburgers but never added it to your itinerary when heading into Kansas City. Restaurant Business reports that Hy-Vee is starting to transition its Wahlburgers to Market Grille this week and expects the transition to be complete by February 4, 2025.

That doesn't mean you can't experience Wahlburgers; they will have about 40 locations nationwide after they wind down their venture with Hy-Vee, Wahlburgers CEO Randy Sharpe told Restaurant Business. They're also opening up 15 new locations this year.

If you're heading to the Boston area, where the Wahlbergs are from, you can pop into Wahlburgers. They even have two locations at Logan Airport and a freestanding location in St. Charles, Illinois, a Chicago suburb. As well as one at Mall of America outside of Minneapolis.

I was surprised by the Chicago location until I remembered that Donnie and his wife, Jenny McCarthy, live in the Chicago area. Unfortunately, all those in Missouri and nearby are in Hy-Vee grocery stores.

Reading between the lines of the Restaurant Business article, it's hard to tell whether Hy-Vee or Wahlburgers pulled the plug on having the burger joint in stores. Sharpe told Restaurant Business Wahlburgers wasn't happy with the performance of the Hy-Vee-operated locations and that they only made up a small portion of the burger chain's sales. He said the company wants to focus on growing restaurants, not be in the grocery business.

For its part, Hy-Vee says its reimagined Market Grille will offer a wider variety of affordable options and focus more on breakfast. Old favorites such as burgers, BLTs, club sandwiches, and chicken wings will return to the menu. Hy-Vee says most locations will offer counter service, with food brought to customers' tables, and they will also offer take-out and delivery.

While I've always thought the idea of Wahlburgers in Hy-Vee is cool, I can see where the concept may not be the best idea to put in a grocery store. It's one thing if you're stopping in the store for a few items and picking up some burgers and fries for dinner. Yet, generally, grocery stores that are getting into the prepared food game tend to offer more than burgers and fries, which Hy-Vee does quite well, in my opinion.

Yet, if I want to bring home burgers and fries, I probably won't go to a grocery store to get dinner if I don't need to pick up any items. This is precisely the only reason I haven't tried Wahlburgers one of the several times I passed by one of their locations in a Hy-Vee when I've been in the Kansas City area.

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