Three KC-area markets already know they’re getting a Whataburger. Another city is added

Beloved Texas-based burger chain Whataburger has added another local market to its list of Kansas City-area openings: Independence.

Meg Lewis, spokeswoman with the city of Independence, said “conversations have been ongoing” with Whataburger. But she added that she didn’t have any details to share. Whataburger is looking for a general manager for an Independence restaurant but didn’t list a specific location.

In June, Lee’s Summit officials were the first to confirm that Whataburger wanted to enter the market and had a site picked out near Saint Luke’s East Hospital.

Days later, Whataburger announced plans to expand in the Kansas City area and Tennessee.

The chain also is hiring general managers for Blue Springs (for a restaurant on the site of a former Winstead’s) and Overland Park (on the site of a former Salty Iguana Mexican Restaurant).

Earlier this week, it submitted preliminary plans for a south Overland Park location at 8420 W. 135th St.

Whataburger was founded by Harmon Dobson in 1950, according to the company’s website. He had an idea — an eatery that would “serve a burger so big that it took two hands to hold, and so good that after a single bite customers couldn’t help but exclaim, ‘What a burger!’ ”

Burgers are made to order and it uses 100 percent beef and a 5-inch bun.

It also has breakfast items such as pancakes and biscuit sandwiches, fish and chicken sandwiches, patty melts, salads and shakes.

After the Texas-based burger chain offered to send Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes some of his favorite ketchup and a T-shirt in late 2018, he tweeted back, “I just want a store in Kansas City!”

This story was originally published October 23, 2020 at 1:06 PM.