This Beloved Burger Chain Is Adding Locations in These New Cities
Unlike many fast-food burger chains, like McDonald's or Wendy's, there are a few popular burger joints out there that don't have plans to plant themselves in every corner of the country. In-n-Out is a great example of this, as is Whataburger, a beloved burger joint from Texas. And while In-n-Out has slowly started expanding into other states (like Colorado), Whataburger hasn't made moves in more than 20 years. Until now.
In an exclusive interview with the Nashville Business Journal, Whataburger announced plans to expand to numerous locations, particularly in two popular cities.
"It's a natural expansion for us," James Turcotte, Waterburger's senior vice president of real estate, said in an interview with the Business Journal. "It fits our customer profile. It fits our supply networks, and we think that those markets are a good fit for us and that they line up with what we do here in Texas."
If you plan on making a trip to Whataburger anytime soon, here's The Best & Worst Burger at Whataburger.
Whataburger's plan for expansion
The company plans on expanding into Kansas City. And for the first time, Whataburger plans on adding locations in Tennessee. This comes as a surprising shock to Whataburger fans in Tennesee, especially after dealing with false hopes of a Whataburger coming to Nashville in 2017.
As of right now, Whataburger only exists in 10 states, with Texas—their home state—in the lead with 684 locations. Whataburger also has locations in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, and Oklahoma. If you look at these states on the map, they all neighbor each other, so naturally, Tennessee makes sense to add to their list for expansion.
"Franchising allows us to open more stores in more areas and do that faster and efficiently," Turcotte said in the announcement. "That is certainly a component of our plan. As we've always done, we will continue to open a high number of corporate restaurants."
Does this mean this beloved burger chain could expand to all of the 50 states? Only time will tell! But for now, if you're in the Kansas City or Nashville area, get ready for some great burgers near you.
For more restaurant news, be sure to sign up for our newsletter!
