Boston Business Journal: Wahlbergs eye Boston 'Wahlburgers' by end of 2012

by Galen Moore

Wahlburgers, the celebrity-backed Boston-area burger restaurant run by actor Mark Wahlberg’s brother, is seeking to expand.
Conflicting reports, Tuesday, hat the Wahlbergs – actor Mark, brother Donnie, and brother Paul Wahlberg, who runs the restaurant – either considering expanding to the U.K. with a bunch of new restaurants, or just opening a second location in Massachusetts.
The young company has discussed both, but the Massachusetts location could open this year, said Wahlburgers vice president of operations, Earl Howard. "Ideally we'd love to do something in that downtown Boston area whether it's Fenway or the Back Bay," he said. "The waterfront is a possibility."
Also of interest to Mass. restaurant owners are the financials Mark Wahlberg talked about in an interview with the London Metro newspaper. He said the Hingham, Mass., Wahlburgers, which opened late last year, is doing sales of $17,000 a day.
“A successful burger place takes maybe $2,400 a day. A really successful one does $6,000. We’re making $17,000 a day,” Wahlberg told the Metro. “There are lines queuing around the corner.”
According to Howard, including the take from liquor sales and a merchandise sideline, Wahlburgers has exceeded that $17,000 figure on its best weekend days – but that doesn't represent Wahlburgers daily revenue. He declined to discuss Wahlburgers sales in more detail.
Leaving aside whether Boston-bred Mark Wahlberg would use the word, "queuing," his $17,000 figure wants a closer look. The cheapest burger on the menu is about $6.25, and fries are $3. Wahlburgers does have a liquor license – which probably ups the average check size, let's say to $20, not including the tip (a burger, fries and two beers). That would mean Wahlburgers is serving about 850 people on its best days.
"We definitely feel (Wahlburgers) has potential to expand, not only in the U.S. but hopefully on an international level," Howard said. "Our short-term goal is definitely to develop the brand here in the Boston market."
Read more:

• In September, Wahlberg, an actor and movie producer who started his career as a musician and underwear model, was reported to be considering a clothing line and a reality TV series chronicling the ups and downs of opening Wahlburgers.
• Wahlberg is currently working on a pilot reality TV project featuring Boston’s Teamsters Local 25 union.

Editor's note: I updated this story twice. First, I changed my back-of-the-envelope math on Wahlburgers' average check size after learning that the restaurant does have a liquor license. (Their online menu doesn't mention it.) The second update came after hearing from Wahlburgers V.P. ops, Earl Howard, who contacted me a few hours after the story was first published. 


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SOURCE: http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/blog/bottom_line/2012/03/wahlburgers-expansion.html?ana=twt&page=all