Whataburger Is Opening Dozens of New Locations in America’s Heartland
NFL player Patrick Mahomes will be a top investor in the franchises.
Disappearing are the days when your favorite fast food order heavily depends on which region of the country you reside in. While eating at places like In-N-Out Burger and Bojangles might still require a trip out of town, one beloved southern burger chain will soon be much more accessible to those living in America’s Heartland.
Whataburger announced that the chain is expanding its reach into Kansas and Missouri, with 30 new franchises in the two states for the first time. The expansion will happen through the investor-led group KMO Burger, which includes Kansas City quarterback and Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes.
Mahomes, like many Texans, has a deep love for Whataburger. The budding fast food restaurateur says bringing the chain to Kansas City is an honor. "I love Kansas City and I love Whataburger," said Mahomes in a press release. "I'm excited to help bring a gift from my first home to my second home."
Other confirmed franchise locations include Wichita, Kansas, and St. Joseph, Missouri. The restaurants will arrive over the course of the next seven years and the first two will open in Kansas City in the latter half of 2022.
If that seems like a while to wait, Kansas City fans will be able to order a Pico de Gallo Burger even sooner. Earlier this year the company announced that four new corporate-owned Whataburger locations will open in Kansas City in the Fall of 2021. "Expanding to Kansas and Missouri is a win for Whataburger and our fans in America's heartland,” said Whataburger president and CEO Ed Nelson.