Mark Wahlberg feared Wahlburgers would damage his brand

Movie star Mark Wahlberg was hesitant to allow his family name to be used for his brother’s burger chain.
The Fighter actor, who started out as a model and rapper called Marky Mark, helped his chef brother Paul launch his first eatery, upscale restaurant Alma Nove, but when the culinary expert proposed the idea of Wahlburgers in 2011, the Oscar nominee balked because he worried it would cheapen his own brand.
“I was grateful I was I able to help Paul see that dream come to reality,” he told Adweek of investing in Alma Nove. “But once he mentioned the idea of Wahlburgers, I said, ‘Are you out of your mind?'”
“I spent 20-some-odd years building my brand and going from the music world to being taken really seriously as an actor and a producer,” Mark continued. “I said, ‘There’s no way. Call it Paul’s Place, whatever you want. I’ll fund it for you, but this is not going to happen.'”
The 44-year-old eventually came around to the idea of Wahlburgers, but his whole family had to agree to star in a U.S. reality show to boost publicity and increase the venture’s chances of success in exchange for his backing.
“If we could really build a business, a real business, then that’s something that I’m interested in,” Mark explained. “But we’re going to do it in a big way. I want to be around to enjoy it. And so things kind of happened.”
His plan worked and Wahlburgers has since turned into a huge franchise, with plans to expand to a total of 118 restaurants in the next few years, with five opening in Canada and 20 in the Middle East.