Whataburger announced plans to open four Kansas City area restaurants in Missouri and Kansas earlier this year. Today, Whataburger unveiled a plan to expand in the region through KMO Burger; a new investor-led franchise group that includes Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes.
In the next seven years, KMO Burger will open 30 Whataburgers spanning from Wichita, Kansas to St. Joseph, Missouri and includes a concentration in Kansas City. The first restaurants in this new group will open next year, with locations at:
- Highway 152 & North Booth Ave., Kansas City, Missouri – fall 2022
- 400 NW Barry Road, Kansas City, Missouri – late 2022
Whataburger will continue its corporate-owned restaurant expansion in 2022; adding a restaurant at 95th and Metcalf in Overland Park.
“We are excited to have KMO Burger join the Whataburger team!” says Ed Nelson, Whataburger president and CEO. “Expanding to Kansas and Missouri is a win for Whataburger and our fans in America’s heartland.”
“KMO Burger is comprised of a group of investors from Texas with a deep appreciation for Whataburger,” says Phillip Rose, Chief Financial Officer of KMO Burger. “Eating there is a part of growing up in the Lone Star State.”
“I love Kansas City and I love Whataburger,” says Mahomes. “I’m excited to help bring a gift from my first home to my second home.”
Construction is underway on the first four restaurants announced for 2021 in Overland Park, Lee’s Summit, Independence and Blue Springs. The first units will open this fall.
Along with restaurants, Whataburger will bring exciting career opportunities for leaders in the community. The restaurants will create more than 500 jobs in 2021 and thousands of jobs in the years to come. Hiring for Restaurant Managers, Team Leaders and Team Members is underway. Whataburger’s unique leadership curriculum training is designed to offer employees an automatic path to career advancement.
