The Whataburger fast-food chain, a staple in Texas and across much of the country, is continuing its planned expansion into North Carolina, with a new restaurant in Mebane along Mebane Oaks Road.
Earlier this year, the company announced plans for five restaurant locations across the state, in first in the state – two in Charlotte, two in Greensboro, and one in Fayetteville.
Now the company has filed plans for a restaurant in Mebane, in place of the former Zack’s Restaurant (which had originally been a second location of the Burlington-based Blue Ribbon Restaurant) at 1004 Mebane Oaks Road.
The Zack’s franchise closed down late last year; much of the rumor around the closing involved speculation that owner John Burton was going to lease the location to a national chain.
This week, Burton confirmed to The Alamance News that he is planning to lease the former Zack’s site in Mebane to Whataburger.
Meanwhile, Whataburger has filed plans for demolishing the former restaurant and replacing it with its own trademark-style restaurant.
Originally known for its A-frame building style, its more contemporary restaurants have a more traditional look.
Whataburger got its start in Texas in 1950, and almost 70 percent of its restaurants (745 out of 1,066) are still in the Lone Star state. But there are a growing number (now 321) in other parts of the country, and North Carolina appears to be latest to have drawn the company’s expansion interest.
The Mebane restaurant is slated to have 3,305 square feet, on a 1.319-acre outparcel, based on plans submitted to Mebane’s planning department. The former restaurants (Zack’s & Blue Ribbon) had 5,427 square feet (with no drive-thru).
The configuration for the Mebane location varies from that of Zack’s and Blue Ribbon, each of whose front entrance faced Mebane Oaks Road. Instead, two drive-thru lanes will run along that old former “side,” while the entry for the restaurant will be on what is now the “back” side, facing away from the Lowes Food shopping center.
The chain’s restaurants are typically open 24 hours a day; burgers remain the company’s staple offering, with traditional and Texas-style add-ons including various toppings such as jalapenos or grilled onions. Also popular, the restaurant’s spicy ketchup and its patty melts.
The company’s outgoing president and CEO, Ed Nelson, who plans to retire at the end of the year, told the Charleston Post and Courier last fall, “I get the honor of bringing Whataburger to the Carolinas, to Atlanta, to Charlotte, to Raleigh, and to many other communities.”
Most of the company’s North Carolina announcements thus far have indicated 2025 openings, which is what Burton said he felt would become the timeframe for Mebane, as well.
