Wimpy’s Paradise, the beloved burger and hot dog joint in downtown Chandler, has announced it will close its doors for good at 4 p.m. Monday, Sept. 3.
Pittsburgh native Randy Walters originally opened a family-run hot dog stand called Pittsburgh Willy’s (pictured below) in a small space inside the Merchant Square antique mall near Arizona Avenue and Warner in late 2008.
Its big break was an unexpected Super Bowl matchup between the Arizona Cardinals and Pittsburgh Steelers in February 2009, Suddenly, numerous media outlets – both local and national – were profiling the Valley’s most prominent (and perhaps only, at that time) Pittsburgh-linked business.
By 2012, Walters moved Pittsburgh Willy’s into its own separate space at the antique mall. His specialty dogs won a slew of local awards and a huge following of diehard fans.
In 2014, Walters fulfilled a lifelong dream by opening burger-focused Wimpy’s Paradise in downtown Chandler. The name came from a burger joint opened by Walters’ father, Ken, in Monongahela, Pa., just south of Pittsburgh, in 1939.
His father lost the restaurant, as well as a second location, after World War II, and his son vowed to someday bring his late father’s vision back to life.
At the time he opened Wimpy’s, Walters closed Pittsburgh Willy’s with plans to reopen it nearby in downtown Chandler in a year or two. When those plans fell through, he combined the two menus – hot dogs and burgers – at Wimpy’s so Willy’s fans still could get their fix.
Like Pittsburgh Willy’s, WImpy’s Paradise appeared on numerous Valley magazine covers and TV morning news shows. Its clientele included pro athletes, famous actors, well-known politicians, and, mostly, just regular folks.
In recent years, Walters, who turns 65 next month, has dealt with a series of health challenges, including his own heart surgery and a granddaughter’s fight against a life-threatening disease.
This summer, the restaurant has had to unexpectedly close on multiple days most weeks.
For its final weekend, Wimpy’s Paradise will be open 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday, 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday, and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday.
