Whataburger Just Announced Exciting News For Fans
Beloved burger chain Whataburger will forever be associated with its native Texas, and for good reason — according to the chain's website, over 80 percent of its 834 locations are in that state. While there is a smattering of Whataburgers in neighboring states such as Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Louisiana, the chain has never really extended its reach past the southern states (both west and east). Lately, though, they've been talking about extending their range, and Whataburger fans everywhere are thrilled to bits.
Well, fans in Tennessee and Kansas City are excited, at least. According to KSAT and the San Antonio Business Journal, the chain is looking to open new locations in those two areas, and they'll also be expanding their franchising for the first time in nearly 20 years. As James Turcotte, Whataburger's senior vice president of real estate, explained, "It's a natural expansion for us. 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."
A Super Bowl MVP may have helped drive Whataburger's expansion
Native Texan Patrick Mahomes, whom you may recall QB-ing the team that won Super Bowl LIV, has been lobbying hard for Whataburger to come to Kansas City ever since he joined the Chiefs (plus he'd like a lifetime supply of their special ketchup). While KSHB reported that Whataburger had taken notice of their famous fan back in 2018, that Super Bowl victory no doubt caught their attention, too. The chain hasn't come out and said that plans for Kansas City to become their sole midwestern location were directly linked to Mahomes' prodding, but Fox 4 News admits that efforts of Texas and Oklahoma transplants to land a KC location of their favorite fast food restaurant were given a "huge boost" when Mahomes joined their ranks.
As for future Tennessee locations, who knows? As far as we can tell, no Titans have been clamoring for Whataburger, though the team was once the Houston Oilers (via Pro Football Reference), so who knows. Perhaps more importantly, Tennessee might be Whataburger's gateway to Virginia, then on into the Mid-Atlantic, and the Northeast, and then across the border into Canada... Ok, so maybe Whataburger won't be challenging McDonald's for world domination just yet. Still, though, if you'd like to see them expand into your area, it's clear what you've got to do. Just get your city to draft a Texan superstar athlete who wins a major championship, and those delicious patty melts will be yours to enjoy.