Whataburger adds a new Triangle location to its growing list of NC restaurants
The Triangle’s Whataburger era is nearly upon us and new restaurants continue to be revealed.
Whataburger’s plans for the Triangle are expanding, with a new location set for the Wake County suburbs.
The beloved Texas burger brand opened its first North Carolina location earlier this year in Gastonia, but the first Raleigh restaurant should open in 2026.
Two Whataburger locations in Raleigh are already in the works, at 6305 Falls Of Neuse Road and 501 E. Six Forks Road.
There are also plans for a third location in Wake Forest, where Whataburger is building a 3,305 square foot stand alone restaurant within the Grove 98 development. The Wake Forest Board of Commissioners approved a special use permit for Whataburger back in September 2024, allowing the fast food restaurant to build a double drive-thru.
The Wake Forest Whataburger was first reported by The Triangle Business Journal.
Raleigh Whataburger
The Whataburger rumor mill started churning in 2021 when the company first created corporate filings in North Carolina.
The popular burger brand has been one of North Carolina’s most desirous fast food imports, fueled by Texas transplants. Whataburgers are open 24 hours a day and known for thin griddled patties, signature sauces and a line of creative merch.
Situated across from Wegmans on Highway 98, the roster of restaurants in Grove 98 includes mostly fast casual options like Cava, Dave’s Hot Chicken, Torchy’s Tacos and Five Guys Burgers and Fries.
The new Whataburger will be built on a 1.2 acre parcel between the Sleep Number mattress store and Grove 98 apartment buildings.
Whataburger NC locations
There are currently plans for more than a dozen Whataburger locations throughout North Carolina. Whataburger CEO Debbie Stroud stopped by Raleigh earlier this year as part of a promotional food truck event, The N&O previously reported.
“We’re not coming in to say, let’s sell a burger,” CEO Debbie Stroud told The News & Observer. “We actually want to be part of the community, which means connecting with the fabric of how people live, work, shop. It’s important to us that we really connect with the families that live here.”
Whataburger could make its debut less than a year from now.
“We hope to be in this local area by January-ish of 2026,” Whataburger regional brand leader Shirley Belue said of the Triangle.
The News & Observer’s Renee Umsted contributed to this report.
This story was originally published July 30, 2025 at 4:03 PM.
