Main Street Nashville
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What? Whataburger eyes Hermitage




Harmon Dobson founded Whataburger restaurant in 1950 in Texas, touting a ‘bigger, better burger.’ PHOTO COURTESY OF WHATABURGER

Harmon Dobson founded Whataburger restaurant in 1950 in Texas, touting a ‘bigger, better burger.’ PHOTO COURTESY OF WHATABURGER

Fans of the ever-popular Whataburger restaurant will be pleased to learn there are initial plans in progress for the burger restaurant in Hermitage.

There’s also buss the Texas-based chain is eying four other sites in the Middle Tennessee area. While unconfirmed, the sites are in Lebanon, Madison, Gallatin and Murfreesboro.

However, what is known is documents submitted to the Metro Nashville-Davidson County Planning Department on Oct. 28 include a final plan submittal for Whataburger at 5055 Old Hickory Blvd. in Hermitage. This is the former Applebee’s location.

According to the 20-page document, the overall site is about 1.52 acres, and the “project will consist of the demolition of the existing building and construction of the new a building,” along with the associated parking. The documents said the restaurant would be 3,751 square feet with one story.

When Main Street Nashville East reached out to Whataburger and asked about the chain scouting Hermitage and other sites for new locations, a representative said they indeed were seriously looking at several potential sites in the Nashville area.

According to plans, the proposed Whataburger site is about 1.52 acres, and the ‘project will consist of the demolition of the existing building and construction of the new a building,’ along with the associated parking. The documents said the restaurant would be 3,751 square feet with one story. METRO NASHVILLE-DAVIDSON COUNTY PLANNING DEPARTMENT

According to plans, the proposed Whataburger site is about 1.52 acres, and the ‘project will consist of the demolition of the existing building and construction of the new a building,’ along with the associated parking. The documents said the restaurant would be 3,751 square feet with one story. METRO NASHVILLE-DAVIDSON COUNTY PLANNING DEPARTMENT

“Whataburger’s leadership and real estate teams are looking at a number of locations in Nashville but aren’t ready to comment on specific sites yet,” the representative said in an email.

The representative said Whataburger is “very excited to enter the Nashville market.”

“It’s such a vibrant area, and the brand is already hearing from some diehard Whataburger fans in Tennessee,” the email said.

There were also general manager jobs listed for the locations on the restaurant’s job site.

This is good initial news for what appears to be die-hard friends of the restaurant that originated in 1950 touting the “bigger, better burger.”

According to the company’s history, entrepreneur Harmon Dobson had a bold idea, to serve “a burger so big it took two hands to hold, and so good that after a single bite, customers could not help but exclaim, ‘what a burger!’”

The first small burger stand was on Ayers Street in Corpus Christi, Texas and Whataburger was born.

Dobson’s son, Tom Dobson, took over as president and CEO in the 1960s, according to company information.

According to the company, Whataburger is still family owned and operated and open around the clock. There are more than 800 Whataburger’s across the country.

In its seventh decade, Whataburger all-time favorites on the menu are its specialty sandwiches such as the mushroom Swiss burger, sweet and spicy bacon burger, Whataburger patty melt and the honey barbecue chicken strip sandwich.

It also has a breakfast menu, fish sandwiches, sides, salads, desserts and snacks.

An effort to reach the Hermitage district’s councilman for comment was unsuccessful by deadline.

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