The Texas fast-food chain, Whataburger, on East Main St. opened their doors on Oct. 28th at 11 a.m. The grand opening was expected to cause traffic delays and traffic signs were posted down East Main Street days before the opening.
One incentive that caused much anticipation for crazy lines on opening day was that the first two customers would receive free Whataburger for a year. The next 200 customers would receive various promotions and Whataburger merchandise. As a result, cars began lining up to camp out in line until 11 a.m. the next day.
According to news outlets, one of the winners was Phil Foust who drove two hours from Columbia to be first in line at 11:20 a.m., almost 24 hours before opening. Foust received 52 gift cards, which he distributed amongst members of his church.
The next winner was Kyan Sapko, a Converse University freshman, who arrived around 2:30 p.m.,
“I had a really fun time doing it,” Sapko said to postandcourier.com. “I honestly expected it to be a whole lot more miserable than it actually was, but the guys that I ended up doing it with made it really fun.”
At the Boiling Springs location, the first four customers got free Whataburger for a year while the next 350 received the promotions and merchandise. All locations threw parking lot parties to celebrate.
On opening day, the SHS cheerleading team and the football players took a field trip to help celebrate the grand opening and to try the food.
Nikia Tinsley (12) is a cheerleader who had an amazing experience at Whataburger.
“At arrival we were kindly welcomed by the employees, and we came across another cheer team, so it was exciting! After we performed some cheers, the crowd was so enthusiastic and supportive,” Tinsley said. “I ordered a strawberry milkshake and tenders, just to play it safe… and it was great! They have the best milkshakes in the city! I’ll be back.”
Whataburger is known for their toasted-bun burgers, patty melts, and their fancy ketchup. The restaurant is open 24 hours, and the breakfast menu goes from 11 pm to 11 am. They also serve flavored iced coffees and have a seasonal white chocolate milkshake.
Payton Shell (10) went to Whataburger on opening day to see what the fanfare was about
“I ordered a patty melt meal with a milkshake. My first impression was good, their environment was very clean, and service was exceptional,” Shell said. “I will be back, just not very often.”
The projected goal is for the franchise to open ten locations in South Carolina, with eight of those locations in the Upstate.
The first location to open in Spartanburg County was in Boiling Springs on July 15. There are now two more locations with one located near the Westgate Mall and the other in the Hillcrest Shopping Center.
Ed Nelson is the President and CEO of Whataburger as well as a Clemson graduate.
“Opening our doors here feels like a homecoming, and I’m thrilled to share the Whataburger experience with my fellow South Carolinians,” Nelson said in an interview with stories.whataburger.com.
