Texas-based burger chain Whataburger is expanding to the greater metro Atlanta area. The shuttered Kennesaw O’Charley’s Restaurant & Bar, at 705 Townpark Ln NW, will house the state’s second outpost, Tomorrow’s News Today first uncovered.
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Whataburger corporate communications confirmed the plans in an email to What Now Atlanta Tuesday, but would not provide additional details.
“It’s true,” a spokesperson wrote. “Whataburger will be bringing our iconic burgers and exceptional customer service to Kennesaw! We hope our fans here are as excited as we are. We’ll have more information to share soon.”
Whataburger currently operates its lone Georgia restaurant in Thomasville, at 13880 US Highway 19 South, according to the restaurant’s website, but has plans to continue inching in toward Atlanta.
“We absolutely love hearing that we have so many fans in Georgia,” Whataburger corporate communications told What Now Atlanta in February when rumors started circulating that an expansion into the area was imminent. “We’re not announcing any new locations in the Peach State at the moment, but we’ll be sure to let you know if that changes.”
Whataburger in 2020 announced plans to open 25 restaurants in 2021, in addition to remodeling many existing restaurants.
In addition to the expansion, which would mostly cover Tennessee, Kansas City, and existing markets, Whataburger also began franchising its restaurants for the first time in almost 20 years.
Along with plans for expansion, the company rolled out a new look for its restaurants to “better serve our guests, increase our capacity, and continue to deliver the quality food and friendly customer service our customers expect from us.”
Whataburger said it will introduce new restaurant models and remodels that have a reduced environmental impact by “using renewable resources when possible, LED lighting, and more efficient equipment for 24-hour use.”
“There are a lot of things our customers hold sacred about Whataburger, including the iconic A-frame, orange and white stripes, and the strong link to our history,” James Turcotte, senior vice president of real estate at Whataburger said when the expansion was first announced. “Whataburger’s new restaurant designs and remodels will stay true to our unique look, just in an updated and fresh way.”