Some fans of the iconic Texas fast food chain waited in line overnight for the Gastonia location’s grand opening.
GASTONIA, N.C. — After years of anticipation and planning, iconic Texas fast food chain Whataburger opened its first Charlotte-area location with several more restaurants opening soon in North Carolina.
The legendary chain opened its new location at 3415 East Franklin Boulevard in Gastonia at 9 a.m. on Thursday. And some fans waited in line all night to be the first to take a bite.
Whataburger CEO Debbie Stroud also made an appearance at the grand opening of the Gastonia location.
Whataburger plans to open 10 restaurants in North Carolina this year, serving Texas-style burgers, fries, and milkshakes throughout the Tar Heel State. About half of those locations will be in the Charlotte area. Construction is currently underway on restaurants in Charlotte, Hickory, Indian Land and Mooresville.
Whataburger expansion in the Carolinas
“For 75 years, Whataburger has grown from a single burger stand into a brand folks love across the country—but our heart has always stayed right where it belongs: in local communities just like Gastonia,” Stroud said when announcing the plans.
Plans for Whataburger have been cooking since at least 2022 when zoning records first showed plans for the site to be built on South Boulevard. However, those plans stalled, leaving Charlotte without Whataburger’s fancy ketchup or patty melts.
Whataburger has been a Texas staple since it opened its first location in 1950 with over 700 locations in the Lone Star State. The fast food chain has expanded to states across the country and now hundreds of locations outside of Texas.
South Carolina has already tasted the chain’s burgers, with locations in Columbia, Greenville and Spartanburg.
The restaurant is unrelated to the local chain of What-A-Burger restaurants found in Concord, Kannapolis, and Mooresville.
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