Actor turned celebrity restauranteur, Mark Wahlberg, has reached out to Kiwi burger lovers after the first Wahlburgers bar and restaurant opened in Auckland on Wednesday.
Crowds flocked to Mark, Donnie and Paul Wahlberg’s celebrity burger joint at Auckland’s Viaduct Harbour to experience the taste.
“Kia ora!,” Wahlberg said via the Wahlburgers NZ Facebook page today.
“Massive congratulations to New Zealand, Wahlburgers team and the Mustaca family for opening our first Wahlburgers in Viaduct Harbour, our first-ever restaurant in New Zealand – what an honour.
“I cannot wait to come and join you for a cold WahlBrewski beer and a Kiwi-style burger with fried egg and a slice of beetroot.”
He said he’s proud the produce used at the Auckland restaurant is made from local Kiwi products – especially the “top quality” Angus beef and great locally farmed chips.
“When you visit us, don’t forget to ask for my brother Paul’s famous fried pickles and his house-made Wahl Sauce.”
“God bless you and your beautiful country - I cannot wait to visit soon.”
Wahlberg said during his first visit to Aotearoa, he had the “most remarkable time, in one of the most beautiful countries in the world" - shooting The Lovely Bones with Sir Peter Jackson.
A 'packed out' week
CEO of the Australia and New Zealand side of the business, Sam Mustaca, is overseeing the rollout of three restaurants across Aotearoa this year.
He said the week has been a rollercoaster but is impressed with the venue and how well his staff held up, working long days.
"Staff have been up at 6am prepping before opening at 11am," Mustaca said, adding, most days this week, the restaurant closed around 10pm.
"The team crushed it," he told 1News.
"It's a beautiful city and a beautiful harbour so I am really happy with how this week's gone.
"Everyone's struggling for staff in hospitality and they have done a great job so far. They are doing their absolute best."
He said there have been days when the venue has just been "packed out".
Mustaca said his staff are super-loyal - the head of operations has been with Wahlburgers for 11 years and joined the Australasian team 16 months ago.
He had the head team trained in Australia for a month-and-a-half before cracking into the New Zealand market.
Auckland crowds were lining up as the doors opened. (Source: 1News)
He said despite some QR code IT issues, the team held up well and he said he was "really proud of them".
Although Mustaca lives in Sydney, he told 1News he will travel between countries to ensure the bedding in for the new business.
He's planning to start opening the Auckland venue for breakfast in three to four weeks time.
Then it's on to the new chains. "The plan is to have flagship stores in key locations. Queenstown is next, followed by Tauranga".
The Wahlberg brothers are expected so show up later this year, to coincide with the opening of a Tequila bar next door to the restaurant.
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