Wahlberg brothers excited for Brookfield Wahlburgers
Just like the Wahlbergs, their restaurant is Boston based, but "Wahlburgers" has made it's way to the Midwest.
"[Paul] came to me with his big idea which was to build a burger joint, and when he said he wanted to call it Wahlburgers I said, 'Absolutely not. I spent too many hard years building my brand,' but then I realized in actuality it's a brilliant idea," said Mark Wahlberg at the Wahlburgers grand opening at Mall of America in Minnesota last June.
The burger joint is set to open early summer at the Corners of Brookfield. Chef Paul Wahlberg, older than Donnie and Mark, spoke with CBS 58 over Skype.
"This is what I grew up eating and what we grew up eating. I'm a classically trained chef and worked in Italian, Mediterranean, European, and French restaurants, but I love burgers," said Paul Wahlberg.
CBS viewers have seen brother Donnie in the iconic dinner table scenes on Blue Bloods, but Paul says that's not what the Wahlberg dinner table was like growing up.
"On the show it seems very relaxed, calm and peaceful... that's where it ends. That didn't work for us. It was always slightly more chaotic; we had 9 kids there, for a while my grandmother was living with us, and someone always had a friend over for dinner, and the friend was like, 'Oh my God, this is what it's like?'"
The Wahlbergs are excited to bring their dinner table to Wisconsin. Paul, a New England Patriots fan even tried on a Packers cheesehead for the announcement.
The Brookfield franchise owner is Hy-Vee. The chain sent out this statement:
Hy-Vee, Inc. announced today that it will open its fourth Wahlburgers restaurant franchise at The Corners of Brookfield in the Town of Brookfield, Wisconsin, in early summer 2019. This location will be the first Wahlburgers in Wisconsin.
The 6,000-square-foot Wahlburgers will be located on the northeast side of the center and will offer a unique dining experience featuring signature burgers, made-from-scratch recipes, home-style sides, fish, chicken and vegetarian options, and a full bar including specialty drinks such as adult frappes and floats.
“Hy-Vee is excited to open its fourth Wahlburgers location, and to bring a new dining experience to Wisconsin,” said Randy Edeker, chairman of the board, CEO and president of Hy-Vee. “Families will enjoy great food in a fun atmosphere, served with the excellent customer service and hospitality that Hy-Vee and Wahlburgers are known for.”
Paul says the Brookfield location will have the "virtual visitor" component, where Donnie, Mark or other Wahlbergs will occasionally video-call the restaurant to talk and chat with customers.