Among the various fast food options found in Walmart stores these days, hot dog chain Wienerschnitzel will soon join the ranks. The brand announced in a press release on May 28, 2025, that it will be opening six restaurants in Walmart stores during 2025. The move is part of Wienerschnitzel’s newly launched endeavors to enter target consumer markets via nontraditional venues, including big box stores like Walmart. The initial Walmart locations that will soon house Wienerschnitzel restaurants, per the agreement between the two companies, include stores in Puyallup, Washington; Alamogordo, New Mexico; Tempe, Arizona; Reno, Nevada; Colorado Springs, Colorado; and Bakersfield, California. Each location will be operated by local franchise owners in those areas.
Wienerschnitzel is best known for its various hot dog items, which include assorted renditions of classic dogs, as well as corn dogs and veggie dogs. The chain also offers hamburgers, sandwiches, breakfast items, and ice cream treats among its menu goodies. While many restaurants are forced to adapt and pare down menus when entering a nontraditional space, Wienerschnitzel’s full menu will be on offer in Walmart stores. Other unique avenues the company is pursuing include restaurant placement in locations like convenience stores, theme parks, and even military bases. Via this fresh franchising method, Wienerschnitzel may also soon be among fast food chains you’ll find in U.S. airports, as that is another type of venue the brand is targeting as part of its nontraditional expansion plans.
Pursuing growth through nontraditional franchising
The hot dog fast food chain seems rather optimistic about the Walmart partnership and its other unique expansion ventures. “These non-traditional formats allow us to modernize our footprint, bring our iconic flavors to new audiences, and reinforce the brand’s relevance in today’s evolving retail and dining landscape,” Ted Milburn, director of franchise development for Wienerschnitzel, stated in the press release about the Walmart partnership. “Growing inside these Walmart locations significantly expands our reach and opens the door for franchisees to tap into high-traffic locations with built-in demand.”
Expanding via nontraditional venues, as Wienerschnitzel is doing, is something various restaurant brands are pursuing these days. Sandwich giant Subway, whose stronghold in terms of U.S. locations has been shrinking, is another quick-bite brand approaching growth via less common channels, with Walmart stores being part of its expanded franchising plans, as well. Uncertainties and financial challenges for restaurants throughout the United States are still ongoing in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Diversifying and finding growth in new outlets in this way can help a struggling brand hang on and find its footing again.
Opening a store in a nontraditional location is often cheaper than opening a standalone restaurant, for instance. It also puts brands in high-traffic areas, providing a more captive audience, and offers exposure to customers who weren’t necessarily seeking out the restaurant, but will nonetheless encounter it while attending to other errands. This method doesn’t always turn out well, however. Celebrity-owned fast food chain Wahlburgers, for instance, has faced closing a large number of locations in 2025, due to a franchising agreement with Hy-Vee that has been terminated by the grocery chain.
