Whataburger is working on its fifth Conroe eatery. According to a recently filed Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation permit, the booming fast-food burger brand is expected to open at NWQ Hwy 105 & Loop 336.
The permit further details that construction is expected to start at the beginning of November this year and is slated to wrap up by the beginning of April 2027. If all goes well with permitting and the estimated $2.3 million construction project, the new Conroe Whataburger should open by next spring.
At the helm of the opening is project manager Neal Tjon-A-Joe. What Now Houston reached out to Tjon-A-Joe, who was listed on the permit, to find out more about the exciting new development. Unfortunately, we did not hear back by the time of this publication.
“Whataburger’s following has grown exponentially in its more than 75-year history, thanks to a number of features, including its famous burgers and growing list of menu items, its iconic orange-and-white-striped restaurants, and its famous Fancy Ketchup,” the brand’s website reads.
“Whataburger is more than a burger chain. It’s a place that feels like home to more than 51,000 employees, called Family Members, and millions of customers. It’s a brand built on pride, care and love.”
Whataburger was founded on August 8, 1950, when Harmon Dobson and Paul Burton opened the first walk-up burger stand on Ayers Street in Corpus Christi, Texas. Dobson wanted a burger so big and tasty that it required two hands to hold, prompting customers to say, “What a burger!” The first burgers were quarter-pound beef patties on five-inch buns, sold for 25 cents.
Burton and Dobson parted ways in 1951 over a price increase to 30 cents, leaving Dobson in control of the main brand. The first location outside Corpus Christi opened in Kingsville, Texas, in 1952, followed by the first out-of-state restaurant in Pensacola, Florida, in 1959. The famous orange-and-white A-frame building design debuted in Odessa, Texas, in 1961 so it could be easily spotted from the sky.
After Dobson sadly died in a plane crash in 1967, his wife, Grace Dobson, took over the company and guided its expansion; many changes followed. Drive-thrus were added in 1971, 24/7 service and breakfast (including the taquito) launched in 1982, and headquarters relocated to San Antonio, Texas, in 2008.
The Dobson family sold a majority stake in Whataburger to Chicago-based private equity firm BDT Capital Partners in 2019, while keeping a minority share. Led by CEO Debbie Stroud, the brand has grown to more than 1,130 Whataburger locations across 17 states. There are about 800 of those eateries in Texas, making up roughly 65% to 68% of all Whataburger locations nationwide. There are roughly 90 locations in the Greater Houston region, with just four in Conroe.
Whataburger is anticipated to open at NWQ Hwy 105 & Loop 336 in Conroe by next Spring.
(This is a developing story. As more information is made available, we will update this article. Stay tuned!)
