Food Courts are Coming to Walmart Locations Soon—Here's What We Know So Far
Walmart Signage
It turns out that Costco might not be the only food court in town worth frequenting, as Walmart has been secretly whipping up a brand new dining experience for guests with the first test store landing itself in Quakertown, Pennsylvania. Now, the knee-jerk reaction here would be to assume Walmart is setting out to copy Costco’s business model. However, the “Save Money. Live Better” retailer is actually setting up “mini food halls” that will offer patrons the choice between eight different restaurants serving wings, barbecue, burritos and so much more.
The new food hall venture was created by Walmart’s former U.S. eCommerce CEO, Marc Lore, by way of his food delivery company, Wonder Group. After launching Wonder Group in 2018, Lore’s concept first began in New York and New Jersey, where Wonder allowed people to order food for delivery, takeout or drive-in. The service even offered an optional $7.99 monthly membership that boasted zero delivery fees and delivery times of 35 minutes or less.
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Over the years, with the help of celebrity chef’s like Bobby Flay, Wonder has served as a way to introduce gourmet foods to those who may not be familiar with it or have access to it. At Walmart’s Quakertown location, the food hall comes complete with Mediterranean food from Yasas by Michael Symon, pizza made by chef Michele D’Amelio’s Alanza Pizza and sweets from the likes of both Magnolia Bakery and Milk Bar.
Only time will tell how Walmart's new “mini food halls” will fare with competitors like Costco still holding the proverbial food court trophy. Wonder’s use of locally sourced and seasonal ingredients, as well as their dedication to reducing waste by donating unused food to organizations like New York City’s City Harvest and the Community Food Bank of New Jersey will certainly help. Wonder’s chief growth marketing officer Daniel Shlossman believes that the company is providing an “elevated level of dining that you might typically get from a dine-in restaurant,” but the real question is, are Walmart shoppers interested? With 25 more locations set to open by the end of the year, we’ll find out sooner than later.
