Tom Wahl's

Tom Wahl's is a chain of fast-food restaurants based in the Rochester, New York area that currently has several restaurants around the Finger Lakes region. USA Today named it one of "51 great burger joints across the USA" in 2010.[1]

This article is about the burger chain in Rochester, New York. For the casual restaurant owned by the Wahlberg brothers, see Wahlburgers.
Tom Wahl's Inc.
TypePrivate
IndustryRestaurants
FoundedMarch 1955 (1955-03)
HeadquartersWebster, New York
Key people
Bruce Hegedorn, John Gonzalez, Keith Herman
ProductsHamburgers, root beer
Websitewww.tomwahls.com

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.[2]

Original restaurant in Avon, New York

Overview
Tom Wahl's ground steak sandwich with hot sauce, onions, and tomatoes

The restaurant chain was sold in 1986 to Bill Gray's, Inc.[3] 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, Donnie Wahlberg, and chef Paul Wahlberg licensed the name "Wahlburger" from Tom Wahl's for use in their own restaurant.[4][5]

There are now seven restaurants:

The chain once had locations in the food courts at the Mall at Greece Ridge, the Marketplace Mall and Eastview Mall, but they are closed as of 2021.

See also

References
  1. "51 Great Burger Joints", USA Today, McLean, Virginia, 2010-10-01, ISSN 0734-7456, retrieved 2010-10-06
  2. "Our History". Webster, New York: Tom Wahl's Restaurants. Retrieved 2010-08-08.
  3. "Tom Wahl's named one of 51 best burger joints", Democrat and Chronicle, Rochester, New York, 2010-10-02, ISSN 1088-5153, retrieved 2010-10-06
  4. "Tom Wahl's signs licensing agreement with Wahlberg brothers", Democrat and Chronicle, Rochester, New York, 2011-08-25, ISSN 1088-5153, retrieved 2011-08-26, Tom Wahl's, which has federal trademark rights to the Wahlburger name, has signed a licensing agreement with the restaurant group that includes pop stars and actors Donnie and Mark Wahlberg and their chef-restaurateur brother, Paul. The agreement allows the Wahlbergs to name their soon-to-open burger eatery in Hingham, Mass., Wahlburgers Restaurant.
  5. "Step by Step: Chef, famous bros get fired up over Wahlburgers", Boston Herald, Boston, Massachusetts, 2011-08-24, ISSN 0738-5854, archived from the original on 2011-09-17, retrieved 2011-08-29, St. Croix said the restaurant's ownership approached Tom Wahl's, a chain of burger joints based in Rochester, N.Y., a few months ago after they discovered it sold a product called the "Wahlburger."
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