CHARLOTTE — Whataburger has made it official — ending years of speculation about when it would crack into the Charlotte market.
The Texas-based burger chain confirmed plans for its first North Carolina restaurants, with eight locations planned in 2025. That includes four in the Charlotte market.
[ Charlotte is a step closer to getting Whataburger ]
“We’ve really been embarking on a growth plan that’s incredibly exciting and dynamic, but it’s also thoughtful and disciplined,” CEO Debbie Stroud says.
The first local restaurant should open at 3415 E. Franklin Blvd. in Gastonia — formerly home to Backyard Burgers — in late spring. It will be followed in early summer with a restaurant at 2060 US Highway 70 SE in Hickory.
In Charlotte, a long-rumored restaurant at the Clear Creek Crossing development, near Albemarle Road and Interstate 485, should open this summer as well.
Whataburger is also targeting a summer opening for its first Indian Land restaurant.
Read more from the Charlotte Business Journal here.