February 17, 2026

1014: Wahlburgers CEO on What They Fixed to Grow

Wahlburgers grows by tightening standards, simplifying execution, and treating quality as non-negotiable.

From Las Vegas, I talk with Randy Sharpe (CEO, President, and board member) about what he changed after joining the brand, where the concept wins, and how he thinks about growth across multiple formats.

We cover:

How Randy connected with Mark Wahlberg and took the CEO role

Why quality drives return visits—and how ops discipline protects the brand

Cutting underperforming franchise operators to reset the business

Simplifying from 17 different menus back to a focused core

The four formats: bar & grill, counter service, captive markets (casinos), airports

Airport strategy: Logan, Detroit Metro, Sarasota-Bradenton next, plus more planned

Pricing by market vs quality consistency everywhere

Retail strategy (Stop & Shop mention) and why Randy refuses frozen products

Florida growth with a Home Depot partnership driving new retail markets

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