Tom Wahl's is a chain of
fast-food restaurants
A fast-food restaurant, also known as a quick-service restaurant (QSR) within the industry, is a specific type of restaurant that serves fast food, fast-food cuisine and has minimal Foodservice#Table service, table service. The food served ...
based in the
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in and the county seat, seat of government of Monroe County, New York, United States. It is the List of municipalities in New York, fourth-most populous city and 10th most-populated municipality in New York, with a populati ...
area that currently has several restaurants around the
Finger Lakes region.
USA Today
''USA Today'' (often stylized in all caps) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth in 1980 and launched on September 14, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headq ...
named it one of "51 great burger joints across the USA" in 2010.
The restaurant specializes in "ground steak sandwiches" and its famous root beer and sells
Abbott's Frozen Custard.
History
Tom Wahl, Sr. opened the first restaurant in
Avon, New York in March 1955.
Overview
The restaurant chain was sold in 1986 to
Bill Gray's, Inc. During this time the chain opened a variant of its traditional diner-style restaurant called Wahl Street in the
village of Pittsford. Featuring a more upscale feel to dining, this concept lasted a few years before closing down, returning the chain solely to the diner-style feel. In 2011, an equity group that includes
Mark Wahlberg
Mark Robert Michael Wahlberg (born June 5, 1971), formerly known by his stage name Marky Mark, is an American actor, producer, and former rapper. Mark Wahlberg filmography, His work as a leading actor, leading man spans the Comedy film, come ...
,
Donnie Wahlberg
Donald Edmond Wahlberg Jr. (born August 17, 1969) is an American singer, actor and producer. He is a founding member of the boy band New Kids on the Block. Outside music, he has starred in the TV drama series ''Blue Bloods (TV series), Blue Bloo ...
, and chef Paul Wahlberg licensed the name "Wahlburger" from Tom Wahl's for use in
their own restaurant.
There are now seven restaurants:
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Avon, New York
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Bushnell's Basin, New York
*
Canandaigua, New York
Canandaigua () is a city in Ontario County, New York, United States. Its population was 10,576 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Ontario County; some administrative offices are at the county complex in the adjacent town of Hopewell. ...
*
Newark, New York
*
Fairport, New York
Fairport is a village (New York), village in the town (New York), town of Perinton, New York, Perinton, part of Monroe County, New York, Monroe County, New York (state), New York, United States. Fairport is a suburb of Rochester, New York, Roche ...
*
Brighton, New York
*
Greece, New York
The chain once had locations in the
food court
A food court (in Asia-Pacific also called food hall or hawker centre) is generally an indoor plaza or common area within a facility that is contiguous with the counters of multiple food Vendor, vendors and provides a common area for self-serve di ...
s at
the Mall at Greece Ridge,
the Marketplace Mall and
Eastview Mall, but they are closed as of 2021.
See also
*
List of frozen custard companies
*
List of hamburger restaurants
References
External links
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RocWiki article
{{City of Rochester, NY
Companies based in Monroe County, New York
Fast-food chains of the United States
Regional restaurant chains in the United States
Frozen custard
Root beer
1955 establishments in New York (state)
Restaurants established in 1955