Site work is underway along Mebane Oaks Road for the forthcoming Mebane location of Whataburger, as the Texas-based burger chain continues to make inroads in the Tar Heel State.
The San Antonio-headquartered chain has announced plans to open nine locations in North Carolina this year.
The state’s first Whataburger opened in Gastonia on May 29; and a grand opening celebration for the brand’s second N.C. location, opening today in Hickory, is set to kick off at 9:00 a.m. this morning, according to the company.
Whataburger has filed plans with the city of Mebane to build a restaurant at 1004 Mebane Oaks Road, where a former Zack’s franchise had operated less than a year before closing in late 2023. The former restaurant also been the second location for the Burlington-based Blue Ribbon Diner for many years.
Whataburger entered into a 15-year lease for the land at 1004 Mebane Oaks Road, based on a copy of the agreement filed with Alamance County’s Register of Deeds that took effect on December 30, 2024. The lease includes an option to renew for three additional terms of five years each following the expiration of the initial 180-month term. The financial terms were not disclosed on the lease agreement.
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Whataburger recently razed the former restaurant and cleared the lot to make way for construction of its own trademark restaurant, which will have 3,305 square feet on a 1.32-acre outparcel at the Mebane Oaks Village shopping center, based on plans filed with the city.
The two former restaurants (Zack’s & Blue Ribbon) had 5,427 square feet with no drive-thru.
Most of the 1,100 Whataburger locations currently operating in 17 U.S. states are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, according to the company.
Other locations planned for North Carolina include: Charlotte, Greensboro, and Winston-Salem (summer 2025); Archdale and High Point (fall 2025); and Kernersville and Mooresville (dates to be determined but targeted for 2025), according to a May 15 news release from Whataburger. This year marks company’s 75th anniversary.
A target date for opening the Mebane location has not been announced.
