Whataburger opens first Nashville location in Hermitage

Katelynn White, Nashville Tennessean
·2 min read

Whataburger opened its first restaurant in Tennessee at 11 a.m. Wednesday at 5055 Old Hickory Blvd. in Hermitage.

The regional fast food restaurant chain will open seven others in Middle Tennessee this year.

"We’re excited to bring our big flavors, fresh ingredients, and original recipes to Nashville," said Jon Barideaux, Whataburger director of operations. "We’re looking forward to growing here and being part of the community.”

When will Whataburger's other Nashville area locations open?

The seven Whataburger's targeted for opening in the Nashville area this year are:

  • 1123 Nashville Pike, Gallatin – early 2022

  • 1835 Old Fort Parkway, Murfreesboro – mid 2022

  • 450 TN-109, Lebanon – mid 2022

  • 630 S Cumberland St., Lebanon – fall 2022

  • 1715 Gallatin Pike N, Madison – fall 2022

  • 360 W Sam Ridley Parkway, Smyrna – fall 2022

  • 11190 Lebanon Road, Mt. Juliet – fall 2022

Whataburger has announced sponsorship agreements with the Tennessee Titans and the Nashville Sounds.

Team celebration events will take place at the Old Hickory Boulevard location as part of the agreement. Whataburger will provide stadium signage and branding and community outreach programs.

Whataburger is opening a restaurant in Hermitage on Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2022. It is the chain's first Nashville-area restaurant since the 1970's.
Whataburger is opening a restaurant in Hermitage on Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2022. It is the chain's first Nashville-area restaurant since the 1970's.

“As a great brand with big growth plans in both Nashville and Memphis, Whataburger is a natural sponsor for the Tennessee Titans. We look forward to seeing their presence in the state grow over the next few years and hope we see a few Titans fans at their first store opening on Jan. 5," said Gil Beverly, chief marketing and revenue officer for the Titans.

Other Nashville locations: Whataburger signs lease to open new restaurant in Mt. Juliet

Whataburger has already hired 175 employees at the Hermitage location and is still looking to sign on more. The fast-food restaurant is hoping to hire over 1,300 individuals by the end of this year.

Whataburger was introduced to the fast-food industry in 1950. Harmon Dobson opened the first Whataburger with only a small roadside burger stand in Corpus Christi, Texas. The restaurant focuses on creating fresh, made-to-order burgers. Whataburger has 50,000 employees and over 60 million customers. The company is headquartered in San Antonio with more than 870 locations in 14 states and has made more $3 billion in sales.

Find reporter Katelynn White at kwhite@tennessean.com or on Twitter @KateLynnTWhitee

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Whataburger Nashville location opens; more in Tennessee set for 2022