Whataburger is about to hit the Charlotte area ... but when will it actually open? (It’s soon!)
Some of the first Whataburgers in North Carolina rolled off its food truck on Tuesday and into the hands of hungry teachers outside Ridge Road Middle School in North Charlotte.
The Whataburger food truck makes appearances ahead of new store openings, slinging its signature No. 1 burgers and swag to give the locals a sample of what’s to come.
At least 10 North Carolina locations plus an Indian Land, South Carolina spot are in various stages of construction. The newest store announcements include:
▪ Kernersville, between Winston-Salem and Greensboro
▪ A second Greensboro location.
All are set to open this year.
Where will Whataburger open first?
But the first Charlotte-area location to open? That will be in Gastonia this June.
Following shortly after will be the Albemarle Road location — not too far from where Whataburger’s bright orange-and-white truck landed at Ridge Road Middle School as part of its Feeding Student Success program.
“Our core philanthropic mission is helping feed students that are in need,” Whataburger spokesman Victor Trevino told CharlotteFive. “They are really tapped in with a number of organizations ... and other charities throughout our footprint ... that can provide some donations or fun activities — or, in this case, we’re feeding teachers.”
A few teachers at a time filed out of the building to grab a Whataburger T-shirt and a bag filled with a pen, pins and other branded items. Along with their burgers came chips, dipping cups of Whataburger’s specialty Fancy Ketchup and Spicy Ketchup, and a Whataburger chocolate chip cookie.
With no time to stop in the sunshine for a moment to enjoy their Whataburgers with cheese — dressed with tomato, lettuce, pickles, diced onions and mustard — the teachers quickly scurried back to their classrooms. (As anyone who spends time with middle schoolers knows, you can’t leave those little skibidi rizzlers alone for too long before some sigma acts up.)
“North Carolina has been incredibly welcoming,” Whataburger brand leader Shirley Belue said, noting that locations will be opening from June through the rest of the year.
As of March, the company expects to open these locations in 2025, construction delays notwithstanding:
- 3415 E. Franklin Blvd., Gastonia, NC 28056 - June
- 2060 US Hwy 70 SE, Hickory, NC 28602 - summer
- 12935 Albemarle Rd., Charlotte, NC 28227 - summer
- 8574 Charlotte Highway, Indian Land SC 29707 - summer
- 1408 Four Seasons Station Blvd., Greensboro, NC 27407 - summer
4409 West Wendover Avenue, Greensboro, North Carolina 27407 - construction has begun, but a timeline has not been announced
- 291 Harvey St., Winston-Salem, NC 27103 - late summer
- 10118 N Main St., Archdale, NC 27263 - fall
- 2713 N Main St., High Point, NC 27265 - fall
604 River Highway, Mooresville, NC 28117 - construction has begun, but a timeline has not been announced
1152 Solomon Drive, Kernersville, North Carolina 27284 - construction has begun, but a timeline has not been announced
Whataburger
Location: Multiple opening soon
Cuisine: American, burgers
Instagram: @whataburger
This story was originally published March 19, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
