You're not the only hungry shopper in Walmart
It’s Not Your Imagination: This Fast-Food Chain Is Disappearing from Walmart Stores
Published on Jan. 22, 2025
The cardinal rule of grocery shopping is simple: Don’t shop for groceries when you’re hungry. Empty-stomach shopping makes you way more likely to shove a bunch of junk food into your cart … and might lead you to break open a bag of chips before you even get to the register. But sometimes snacking or sipping a hot coffee while shopping is a must, especially as you peruse the sprawling aisles of Walmart in search of all of your essentials.
In fact, one of the best things about shopping at Walmart is how easy it is to grab a snack and coffee when you get hungry along the way. At least, it used to be easy. If you’ve noticed a lack of options for quick bites or a caffeine fix lately, you’re not alone. A favorite in-store fast-food chain has been quietly exiting Walmarts across the country.
Keep reading to find out which restaurant is making an exit and why, plus what the big-box retailer plans to do next with all of these empty spaces.
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Which fast-food chain is disappearing from Walmart?
You’re not imagining it: It really is harder to find a McDonald’s in Walmart. (So long, McCafé frappé that gave you the energy to compare prices of paper towels.)
Just as McDonald’s has become a staple of malls, airports and truck stops, the fast-food chain was once synonymous with Walmart. But in recent years, that’s started to change. After a 30-year run, the restaurant, once situated in more than 1,000 Walmart stores, has been slowly disappearing from locations across the country.
What prompted this change?
McDonald’s restaurants began leaving Walmart stores in 2021, on the heels of the COVID-19 pandemic. Though disappointing for many Walmart shoppers, the reasoning makes sense: The pandemic led to a surge in online shopping, driving down sales at in-store McDonald’s restaurants.
Over time, it became clear that it was no longer financially viable to keep so many Walmart McDonald’s locations open, especially because they don’t offer a drive-thru option like freestanding McDonald’s stores do.
Where can you still find McDonald’s in Walmart?
While the McDonald’s inside your local Walmart may be shuttered, you can still find the fast-food joint in select Walmart stores. Out of the more than 1,000 restaurants that once resided in Walmart stores, roughly 150 of them are still open for business. A number of Walmarts throughout the state of California still have McDonald’s locations, including stores in Palm Springs, Bakersfield and Torrance.
What will Walmart do with these empty spaces?
Even though nothing compares to piping-hot fries and a Big Mac, McDonald’s isn’t the only game in town. Walmart is already replacing the former McDonald’s storefronts with other popular fast-food chains, including Taco Bell and Domino’s. So your in-store snacking activities can resume, and all will be right in the wonderful world of Walmart.
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Source:
- Supermarket News: “Walmart eyes other options as McDonald’s, Subway pull out”
