Whataburger, the beloved Texas-based burger chain, is preparing to make its debut in North Carolina with a special giveaway at Ridge Road Middle School in East Charlotte. On Tuesday, regional executives took part in a promotional event to show appreciation for the school’s teachers and staff. They served free meals to the educators, complete with a Whataburger North Carolina t-shirt, a water bottle, and other promotional items.
“We wanted to show appreciation to the teachers of this facility and really connect with our schools and the local community,” said Shirley Belue, the regional brand leader for Whataburger. “We love supporting schools and neighborhoods where we’re planning to open our restaurants.”
Whataburger is set to open its first locations in North Carolina in the coming months. The Charlotte location is scheduled to open in June, while a second site in Gastonia is expected to launch around May. Additional locations in Hickory, Indian Land, Mooresville, Greensboro, and Winston-Salem are also planned for this year.
Belue confirmed that Whataburger is aiming for 10 locations across North Carolina, with more in the pipeline for the future.
Plans to bring Whataburger to North Carolina began back in 2022, when zoning records revealed the company’s intentions to build a site on South Boulevard in Charlotte. However, those initial plans faced delays, leaving Charlotte without Whataburger’s signature ketchup and famous patty melts—until now.
Whataburger, which opened its first restaurant in Texas in 1950, currently operates over 700 locations in the state and has expanded to other regions across the U.S. The chain’s success has also reached South Carolina, where locations in Columbia, Greenville, and Spartanburg have been serving up the brand’s iconic burgers for some time.
It’s important to note that this Whataburger expansion is unrelated to the local What-A-Burger chain, which operates in Concord, Kannapolis, and Mooresville.
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