The reality TV show Wahlburgers is back for a fifth season. The season premiere teaser, “Directing Drama,” promises the most famous brother, Mark Wahlberg, will appear more often on the show than in past seasons. There’s a clip of Mark addressing a crowd with Pope Francis where Wahlberg says: “I’ve always hoped that the good lord has a sense of humor, when it comes to the movies I’ve made.” Another clip shows Mark directing a music video with his friend Sean “P. Diddy” Combs.
Meanwhile, Wahlburgers — the burger business — continues to grow. There are now seven locations in North America – 3 in Boston, 1 in Orlando, 1 in Coney Island, and 2 in Toronto — with a plan to open 27 new locations. The brothers are currently working on opening two new restaurants – one in Las Vegas (at the Grand Bazaar Shops) and one in Philadelphia (on N 2nd Street). In December 2014, Wahlburgers CEO Rick Vanzura (former COO at Panera Bread) said the company only considers franchisees with a net worth of at least $5 million. P.S. Franchisees also need $10k to cover the development fee, $40k for the franchise fee, and have a willingness to pay a 6% royalty of gross sales. Wahlburgers airs Wednesdays at 9pm on A&E.
