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A new Whataburger is being built along this busy road in Lexington. Check out where

Southern Bacon Double Whatameal at Whatburger.
Southern Bacon Double Whatameal at Whatburger.

A new Whataburger is on the way in the Midlands as the company continues its march into South Carolina.

Whataburger is planning a store at 888 South Lake Drive in Lexington. That’s at the northwest corner of the intersection of South Lake and Industrial drives, just north of Interstate 20. Other nearby businesses and institutions include Circle K and QT gas stations, and the American Leadership Academy school.

Town of Lexington planning and zoning documents note the Whataburger project is underway, and construction work was ongoing when a reporter rode by the site Monday morning.

There are more than 1,000 Whataburger locations nationwide, according to data site ScrapeHero. The company was founded in 1950 as a roadside burger stand by Harmon Dobson in Corpus Christi, Texas. The Dobson family sold a majority interest in the company in 2019 to Chicago-based investment firm BDT Capital, which began an expansion program.

There are a host of Whataburgers planned across South Carolina, including in Anderson, Greenville and elsewhere. At least three locations are under construction in the Midlands, including the South Lake Drive Lexington spot, a location at 1185 Dutch Fork Road in Irmo and on Bridgeberry Lane in northeast Columbia.

Whataburger is known, naturally, for its menu of hamburgers, along with fries, chicken sandwiches, chicken strips, salads, milkshakes and more.

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Chris Trainor
The State
Chris Trainor is a retail reporter for The State and has been working for newspapers in South Carolina for more than 21 years, including previous stops at the (Greenwood) Index-Journal and the (Columbia) Free Times. He is the winner of a host of South Carolina Press Association awards, including honors in column writing, government beat reporting, profile writing, food writing, business beat reporting, election coverage, social media and more.
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