Dive Brief:
- Walmart is welcoming a new restaurant chain into its lineup of in-store restaurant partners: hot dog franchise Wienerschnitzel, according to a Wednesday announcement.
- The partnership will start with restaurants in six Walmart locations in six Western states, each owned and operated by a local franchisee.
- Walmart has ambitiously grown its partnerships with quick-service restaurants as it looks to expand its in-store dining offerings.
Dive Insight:
Food offerings are becoming more integral to Walmart’s offerings as the retailer continues to expand not only its grocery assortment but its in-store, quick-service dining options as well.
The upcoming restaurants are slated to open by the fall in Walmart stores in Puyallup, Washington; Alamogordo, New Mexico; Tempe, Arizona; Reno, Nevada; Colorado Springs, Colorado; and Bakersfield, California.
The in-store restaurants will offer Wienerschnitzel’s full menu, which includes the chain’s Chili Cheese Dog, chili cheese fries, jalapeño poppers and Tastee Freez soft serve desserts, according to the announcement. The hot dog franchise noted that entering Walmart stores will help with its expansion into non-traditional venues.
Wienerschnitzel currently has 340 franchised locations across 13 states and more than 50 units in various stages of development, according to the announcement.
Walmart’s tie-up with the hot dog franchise is the latest in a string of fast-casual dining partnerships the retailer has established to help bring made-to-order meal options to its shoppers. In March, Nozzleman Pizza Co. announced its first Walmart location in Nevada, the first of 17 it plans to open this year in locations retailer operates. Last year, Walmart added options including hoagies, poke and barbecue to its in-store restaurant roster.
