Mark your calendars: Whataburger's Republic location is opening its doors to the public on Monday, Dec. 12 at 11 a.m.
Well, they aren’t opening their doors quite yet, but rather their drive-thru windows. They will begin by offering drive-thru service only, and eventually roll out their dining room, online ordering, curbside pick-up and delivery in the following weeks.
The fast food chain hosted a private tasting event Thursday afternoon, during which locals could sample the menu.
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Inside of the Whataburger located at 1371 US-60, Republic, MO. (Photo by Shannon Cay) -
From the outside, looking in at the Whataburger in Republic. (Photo by Shannon Cay) -
Nathan Decker is one of the Managers at the new Whataburger in Republic. (Photo by Shannon Cay) -
Folks enjoying the local flair in this Whataburger location. (Photo by Shannon Cay) -
Newly trained workers are having their skills put to the test for this special event. (Photo by Shannon Cay) -
Travis Edawards of Republic takes his final bite of burger. (Photo by Shannon Cay) -
Roy, Morgan, and their child Rogan are residents of Republic. (Photo by Shannon Cay)
“Whataburger has been eyeing the Springfield area for many years,” Ana Flores, a spokesperson for Whataburger, told the Daily Citizen. “It’s a vibrant community and we’ve been investing time getting to know its leaders and its people, and we couldn’t be more excited to be growing in this market.”
While the drive-thru will be available beginning on Dec. 12, they will hold an official grand opening for the public after the dining room doors are unlocked, according to Flores.
Easing into their Republic opening, and metro Springfield as a whole
Starting out by solely offering drive-thru service and phasing in all aspects of the restaurant will allow the staff, which will be led by operating partner Sean Tamez, to grow accustomed to the work and come up to speed.
Whataburger has been working with the Republic Police Department to formulate a traffic management plan in hopes of avoiding any hazardous traffic jams in the booming Springfield suburb.
“Like many of our recent openings in new markets, we anticipate very high volume in the first days and weeks,” Flores said.
The Republic franchise is the first of a handful to break into the region’s market. A location is expected to open at 1851 W. Marler Ln. in Ozark in early 2023, in addition to three Springfield locations, including two at 3880 W. Sunshine and 2337 N. Glenstone Ave., according to past reporting.
Located at 1371 U.S. Highway 60 in Republic, Whataburger will be open 24/7.
