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]
^"Tom Wahl's signs licensing agreement with Wahlberg brothers", Democrat and Chronicle, Rochester, New York, 2011-08-25, ISSN1088-5153, 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.
