Whataburger to expand, offers new restaurant designs

courtesy Whataburger Photography by Elizabeth James

Whataburger is looking to expand into new markets and bring its Texas burger flavor to Tennessee and Missouri. The San Antonio-based burger chain also showed some new designs for its expansion. By the way, the burger chain was founded in Corpus Christi in 1950 and will be celebrating its 70th anniversary in August.

Whataburger operates restaurants in 10 states, from Arizona to Florida, and will continue to grow new and existing markets. Fifteen new restaurants will be built this year and 25 restaurants next year, in addition to remodeling many existing restaurants.

“We’re always excited to hear we have so many fans across the country, and we are looking to open restaurants in Tennessee, Kansas City and our existing markets as part of future expansion plans,” said James Turcotte, Senior Vice President, Real Estate. “We don’t have specific details to share about plans for any particular city at this time, but will be happy to share when the time is right.”

In addition to expansion, Whataburger also will begin franchising our restaurants for the first time in almost 20 years.

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Whataburger will introduce new restaurant models and remodels that have a reduced environmental impact by using renewable resources when possible, LED lighting and more efficient equipment for 24-hour use.

More restaurants will feature elements of this new look soon, the company, which was acquired by Chicago-based BDT Capital Partners LLC. The remodels will vary based on the needs of each location, ranging from kitchen and exterior upgrades in some restaurants to major updates in others, according to the news release. What’s not changing?, the company says, is the iconic elements such as orange and white stripes.

“There are a lot of things our customers hold sacred about Whataburger, including the iconic A-frame, orange and white stripes, and the strong link to our history,” said James Turcotte, Senior Vice President, Real Estate. “Whataburger’s new restaurant designs and remodels will stay true to our unique look, just in an updated and fresh way.”