‘It’s so exciting’: Fans get their fix as first Kansas City area Whataburger opens

The first Whataburger ever to come to the Kansas City area wasn’t set to open its doors until 11 a.m. Monday.

But Jackie Clark, who lives nearby in Lee’s Summit, decided she’d better show up at 5:45 a.m. to be first in line in the drive-thru at the location, 1450 N.E. Douglas St.

“It’s a very exciting day,” said Clark, wearing a Chiefs T-shirt in honor of Whataburger’s most famous fan, quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

At 10:15 a.m., about 40 people were waiting to go inside. As for the drive-thru line? Cars stretched to Interstate 470 to the north and wound blocks down Victoria Drive to the south. A sign on Douglas Street told drivers: Whataburger, right lane.

It was one of the biggest Kansas City area retail openings since Ikea in 2014 and Trader Joe’s in 2011.

The food is part of the attraction, sure. But also, there’s the star power of Mahomes, who grew up in Texas, where the chain is based, and will be a partner in some 30 Whataburgers in the region.

Many of the people waiting outside Monday had grown up with Whataburger.

Shannon Contreras and her father, Gilbert, of Independence moved here from Texas 16 years ago and said having local Whataburger locations was another reason to remain. Shakes, burgers and onion rings were their must-have orders.

Kristen Buck of Lee’s Summit said her parents were introducing the burger chain to her and her three children.

“I loved it. The spicy ketchup was perfect with the fries,” she said.

A manager advised first-timers to try the burger first — single, double or triple — with cheese, along with onion rings and shakes (he touted the new chocolate mint shake special), then perhaps try the grilled chicken sandwiches on their next trip.

Customers said they liked how they can customize their orders — from grilled jalapenos on the burgers to no onions on the patty melts.

Several first-timers came with friends or spouses who were Whataburger fans — or “obsessed,” as more than one described it. They wanted to see what was behind the fervor.

One fan brought her mother who simply deemed it: ”better than McDonald’s.” But one of the first customers in the door didn’t think it beat hometown favorite Winstead’s.

Clark has been a fan for a couple of decades and has been tracking all the planned locations of Whataburgers in the Kansas City market.

Why did she feel the need to be first in line Monday morning?

“It’s the intersection of Patrick Mahomes coming to do great things for our community and Whataburger coming and all the people it’s hiring,” she said.

Her go-to order: a hamburger with four condiments — mustard, pickles, lettuce, tomato — plus fries and ketchup and a diet Coke. She was picking up lunch for four others: her sister and husband, her niece and a friend.

Clark, along with the first car in the second drive-thru lane, as well as the first dine-in customer, got Whataburger swag, including ketchup, koozies, socks, pencil bags and, best of all, 52 free hamburgers, the equivalent of one a week for a year (but they can be eaten all at once if that’s preferred).

She turns 60 in early December — and “I’m still eating burgers. I love them.” She may hold her birthday party there with her 52 free burgers.

Matt Ford of Prairie Village and his friend, Wesley Harden of Fairway, thought they would be among the first 20 in line to go inside to order. They were first.

Ford grew up in Texas, stopping at Whataburger after football games or for family meals. He had his last fix a couple of months ago on a visit to his hometown of College Station. His go-to order: a patty melt, sweet tea and fries.

Harden ordered the single with cheese, fries and sweet tea.

“He’s obsessed so we had to come by as soon as it opened,” Harden said of Ford. “I didn’t know what to expect. I didn’t think it would be that amazing. It’s very good, really good.”

Police were expecting to see heavy traffic in the area for several days.

“Be prepared for one lane traffic on southbound Douglas from I-470 Hwy and congestion northbound Douglas as traffic is routed onto NE Victoria Dr.,” police said on Facebook Sunday.

Next up, the Independence location at 18902 E. U.S. 40 highway in Independence for a Nov. 29 opening. Both are corporate-owned restaurants.

A dozen more are in the works in the metro, including eight locations by Whataburger franchise partner KMO Burger, which includes Mahomes as a partner.

In an informal poll, The Star asked readers what they were most looking forward to ordering. On Monday morning, the Whataburger burger was the clear favorite, followed by the Jalapeño & Cheese Whataburger and the Honey Butter Chicken Biscuit, which is on the breakfast menu.

The menu also includes mushroom Swiss burgers, patty melts, fish and chicken sandwiches, salads, and other breakfast items such as cheese taquitos and biscuit sandwiches.

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!’”

Items are made to order, and it uses 100% beef and a 5-inch bun.

Restaurants are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Whataburger plans to have 400 area employees by the end of the year and will hire more than 1,000 for area openings in 2022. Employees are paid weekly and have access to flexible schedules. There also are opportunities to advance in the company, and managers have the potential to earn up to $60,000 annually. Operating partners earn an average six figure income.

This story was originally published November 15, 2021 at 10:44 AM.