MUSCATINE, Iowa–The Wahlberg family has some pretty recognizable names. Many recognize Mark Wahlberg for his extensive acting career and Donnie Wahlberg for his time in the band New Kid on the Block. Soon, Muscatine County residents will recognize Paul Wahlberg for the wonderful recipes he created for Wahlburgers. Starting Jan. 18, Muscatine Hy-Vee, located at 2400 Second Avenue, will have a Wahlburgers right inside the store, giving shoppers a whole new dining experience.
First opened in 2011, Wahlburgers offers a wide range of fast casual cuisine. As the name playfully puns, Paul Wahlberg created a full line of gourmet burgers for his restaurant, from the classic Our Burger featuring his secret Wahl Sauce to the Tex-Mex Fiesta Burger, to the plant-based Impossible Burger. Wahlburgers also has a selection of salads as well as tasty appetizers and sides sure to satisfy all sorts of diners. For dessert, Wahlburgers has shakes, floats, ice cream, and cupcakes sure to delight the young and young at heart. In addition to an extensive bar, adults can also enjoy Wahlcoctions and adult shakes, such as the decadent birthday cake shake, which features all the fixings of a vanilla cupcake blended with vanilla vodka.
For the past four years, Wahlburgers has partnered with Hy-Vee to bring restaurants to various locations. This year, the timing proved just right to bring Wahlburgers to Muscatine Hy-Vee. “Hy-Vee has had a partnership with the Wahlberg family, adding franchises across our service area, and Muscatine was selected as a good fit for the restaurant and its menu,” shared Hy-Vee District Store Director Schweizer.
He considers having a Wahlburgers in the store quite a boon, as it provides a dining experience unlike any other in Muscatine County. “I think Wahlburgers has its own flavor profile and a very unique menu,” he said. “If you haven’t been to one, you’re definitely going to want to see it!”
Wahlburgers will open daily from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. It will operate alongside and compliment Hy-Vee’s current food service, including their full service breakfast, which they serve from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m.
As shoppers stop into Hy-Vee to check out the new Wahlburgers, they will notice some improvements to Hy-Vee’s food service counters too. These improvements make Muscatine Hy-Vee’s ready to eat meals even more convenient and pleasant for shoppers to access, giving them one more reason to grab a meal from Hy-Vee while on the go. “All of our food service will be the same, just with updated equipment and more space for ordering,” explained Schweizer.
With the new food service counters and Wahlburgers, Schweizer feels excited about all the dining options Hy-Vee has to offer. He hopes many local residents will stop out and try something new, especially from Wahlburgers’ extensive menu. “They have unique items you really haven’t seen in town before,” he emphasized. “Honestly, I’m most excited about the shakes,” he added with a smile.
