Texas burger chain breaks ground in Spartanburg. City locations expected to open in fall.
Orange and white stripes decorated the parking lot at Hillcrest Market Place Wednesday as Whataburger celebrated its Spartanburg groundbreaking.
The ceremonial groundbreaking for the first of the chain’s two Spartanburg locations was held on Wednesday, March 13. The Texas-based burger chain brought South Carolina-specific merch and a food truck serving up fresh-off-the-grill classic Whataburgers. Work on the site began last month.
Whataburger’s Senior Director of Field Marketing Adam Worthley said the expansion into South Carolina, the brand’s 16th state, was exciting.
“Our CEO Ed Nelson is from South Carolina, Clemson grad, went to Hillcrest, so this is a very important area for him and for us as a brand in general,” Worthley said. “We’ve been really looking at the Carolinas for a while and we’re excited that now is becoming a reality sooner than later.”
Whataburger has seven restaurants planned for the Upstate in Spartanburg, Boiling Springs, Duncan, Greenville, Mauldin, Easley and Anderson and plans to hire 100 new employees per location.
What’s to eat
Founded in 1950 in Corpus Christi, Texas by Harmon Dobson to make a bigger, better burger, Whataburger now offers eight burgers and a variety of sandwiches, salads and sides 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The restaurant also serves breakfast 12 hours a day from 11 p.m. to 11 a.m. with a menu that includes biscuits, pancakes, taquitos, and even a breakfast burger.
Variety is the name of the game at Whataburger, according to Preston Hughes, growth market leader at Whataburger. Hughes said the menu offers something for everyone from a sweet and spicy burger to buffalo wings and 12 sauces that customers can add to customize their meals.
“I have a family of five and it’s always awesome to go to a place that everyone in the family can get something different and meet their needs,” Hughes said.
The restaurants use fresh, never-frozen quarter-pound beef patties and fresh-cut veggies in their burgers, but the size of the burger is what makes a Whataburger stand apart from the competition.
“We have a five-inch bun which is very different than a lot of our competitors out there that typically run a four-inch bun,” Worthley said.
When is Whataburger coming to Spartanburg?
Whataburger will be opening two locations in the city of Spartanburg: one at 1941 E. Main St. in Hillcrest Market Place and another at 1510 W. O. Ezell Blvd. at the corner of W.O. Ezell Boulevard and West Blackstock Road.
The city locations are slated to open this fall, likely in August.
Other Spartanburg County locations include Boiling Springs, which will be the brand’s second location to open in the Upstate in July, and Duncan, which should open in early 2025.
This article originally appeared on Herald-Journal: Whataburger breaks ground in Spartanburg. What to know about locations.
