The retail giant Walmart is diversifying its restaurant options with some new regional concepts.
The fast-casual Crave Hot Dogs & BBQ, with offices in Wyoming and Long Island, N.Y., is planning to open a new express variation—its first—in a Walmart near Louisville, Kentucky. The chain, which is known for its signature hot dogs in various regional styles, as well as barbecue and breakfast, is hoping to open 100 Walmart locations over the next year.
The Crave Express location coming this fall will be about 2,000-square feet near the Walmart entrance, and will have an exclusive menu with breakfast, lunch and dinner. The unit, which will be franchised, will also offer catering and third-party delivery.
“We are thrilled to partner with Walmart for Crave’s expansion,” said Samantha Rincicone, CEO and co-founder of the hot dog chain, in a statement. “This new venture allows us to offer quick and delicious dining, and we’re excited to see the positive impact it will have on the community.”
Crave now has about 15 brick-and-mortar locations nationally, as well as 13 food trucks.
Meanwhile, the Milton, Georgia-based hoagie concept Knuckies Franchise Company LLC on Tuesday said it is offering franchisees the opportunity to open in Walmart stores.
Founder and CEO Todd Broaderick said the quick-service chain has signed a master agreement with the retailer and has 14 executed leases in six states, including Georgia, North and South Carolina, Tennessee, Oklahoma and Texas.
Six of the 14 are committed to franchisees, but Broaderick hopes to expand on the master franchise agreement to offer more Walmart opportunities to franchise operators—though he is reluctant to say how many at this point.
“We’re excited about the opportunity, and I have some investors that are as excited as well, and we will see,” said Broaderick.
Founded in 2019, the six-unit sandwich concept also has a national license agreement with Alumni Cookie Dough, which allows franchise operators to add on the offer of cookies for dessert. Alumni is another Georgia-born brand, founded in Athens.
Three of the existing six Knuckies units are company owned, and Broaderick said the hoagie chain is planning two more corporate locations in Georgia, including the first drive-thru format for the brand.
Last month, the Texas-based pizza chain Mr. Gatti’s said it plans to open nearly 100 locations in Walmart stores, with about a dozen scheduled to open in North Texas and Southern Oklahoma during the fourth quarter.
And the innovative delivery-focused Wonder has opened in a Pennsylvania Walmart, with two more planned in New Jersey stores.
Brands like McDonald’s and Subway, however, which also once had a large presence in Walmart stores, pulled away from the retailer in 2021, saying those locations had low sales.
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