Wahlburgers gone burgers
Opened with great fanfare 18 months ago, Queenstown's Wahlburgers — part of a burger chain created by Hollywood A-lister Mark Wahlberg — has quietly shut up shop.
The restaurant, now advertised for lease, was on the ground floor of the Upper Village entertainment precinct, below the Skyline gondola, which originally opened for business in late 2021.
Promoting itself as North America's fastest-growing burger chain, the Queenstown franchise was its 112th store and the second in New Zealand after Auckland premises opened eight months earlier.
At the time, Wahlberg stated: "The opening of our store in the adventure capital of the world is something we are immensely proud of, and I am looking forward to seeing it in person."
The restaurant — notable for Wahlberg movie and family memorabilia on the walls — was operated by the Mustaca family, who founded Australian cinema chain United Cinemas.
Also closed is Wahlburgers' ground-floor neighbour, chocolate bar Max Brenner, which opened in June 2022, while a large tenancy above, originally occupied by The Bavarian restaurant, is being converted into workers' housing.
— Philip Chandler
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