24-hour Whataburger denied in this SC city. Here’s why and what’s next

The Greenville Zoning Board of Appeals denied Whataburger’s request to keep its drive-thru open 24 hours after hearing from neighbors that it would decrease property values and be a nuisance.

Asked whether they would go ahead with the project without the 24 hour drive-thru, which all their 900-plus restaurants have, look for another location or call off plans to build in Greenville, Whataburger said, “We are continuing to work with our city partners and are confident we will be able to serve up Goodness 24/7 in Greenville.”

They also have the option of appealing the decision in Circuit Court.

Six residents of the East Lynne neighborhood, which is directly behind the proposed site, asked board members to deny the request.

Michael Austin said the drive-thru late hours would increase traffic through the neighborhood, be noisy and overlit and create unpleasant smells.

“It would be a never-ending nuisance,” he said. “With no bathrooms open people would be urinating.”

Grace Bowser handed board members a printout of a tweet in which Whataburger said it’s midnight, what’s your order and what song are you blasting.

“This is a quiet neighborhood. People work during the day hours,” she said, adding that if you google that address the recommendation is to go through the neighborhood to get to another major street behind it.

“Not everyone out during those hours have good intentions,” she said.

City staff had recommended denying the request.

The board voted 6-1 to deny. Stephanie Gates voted to approve.

The location on Laurens Road, a main thoroughfare into downtown Greenville, is full of commercial businesses and other fast food restaurants but the roads beside and behind the former Title-Max building are residences.

The building would be torn down, and another to be owned by the Whataburger company would be built. The closest residential property is 175 feet from the property line on Lindsay Avenue.

A document filed with the Board of Zoning Appeals says the Laurens Road Whataburger expects to do $3.4 million in sales a year.

The company said about 10 cars an hour from midnight until 5 a.m. would use the inner drive-thru, speakers and lighting would be kept as low as possible and there would be landscaping to hold down the noise.

There would be no outside seating, minimizing loitering, they said.