Will You Drive to Kennesaw for a Whataburger Fix When It Opens Next Week?

Atlantans are fiercely loyal to the restaurants serving their favorite burgers, including their preferred fast food chains. And for fans of Whataburger, the Greater Atlanta burger landscape is about to change once again next week.

After months of hype, Texas-based burger chain Whataburger makes its metro Atlanta debut in Kennesaw, Monday, November 28, becoming the first of six planned locations to open in cities throughout the northern and eastern suburbs.

The Kennesaw Whataburger takes over a former O’Charley’s on Townpark Lane, opening the Monday following Thanksgiving for drive-thru service, with dine-in service, online ordering, and delivery following in the coming weeks.

Raking in more than $3 billion annually, Whataburger is known for serving customizable burgers topped with the chain’s signature spicy and fancy ketchups. Earlier this year, the company announced plans to expand to Georgia, opening at least eight new restaurants in the state over the next two years. This includes additional locations in the metro Atlanta cities of Woodstock, Cumming, Snellville, Covington, and Buford, along with locations in Monroe, Athens, and Dawsonville. A Whataburger is already open in Thomasville near the Georgia-Florida state line.

There are currently no locations in the works for Atlanta. And when all six Whataburgers do finally open in the metro area, the closest location for most city dwellers seeking a fix will be 25 miles away in Kennesaw.

Whataburger isn’t the only buzzy food chain set to debut in Georgia over the next several years. Franchisees Abid Khutliwala and Saleem Lakhani are bringing 15 locations of Canadian-based coffee and sandwich chain Tim Hortons to metro Atlanta and Columbus.

Texas-based chain Shipley’s brings 60 varieties of doughnuts, cinnamon rolls, and kolaches to Duluth soon.

Vegan fast-casual restaurant Planta opens two locations next year in Buckhead and at Krog Street Market, with the latter taking over the former Watchman’s Seafood and Spirits space at the food hall.

Wildly popular northeastern convenience store chain Wawa plans to open its first location in Georgia by 2024. Wawa is known for its hoagies, Sizzlis breakfast sandwiches, and the chain’s coffee. The company indicated as many as 20 new stores could open around Georgia in the next decade, likely in “southern and coastal” areas of the state near I-95.