NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Whataburger will be returning to Tennessee on Wednesday at 11 a.m.
City leaders expect heavy traffic and potential backups in the area of the Whataburger, located on Old Hickory Boulevard in the Hermitage area, and they'll be implementing a special traffic plan to ease the expected congestion.
Entry to the restaurant will only be allowed from Old Hickory Boulevard in the north and southbound lanes, and exit will only be allowed southbound on Old Hickory Boulevard. There will be no access from Juarez Drive.
Police and security will be out to help direct traffic.
Brittany and Jason Smith were the first in line at the restaurant, arriving just after 6 p.m. Tuesday, ready to get their hands on a Whataburger or some spicy ketchup.
The couple met 12 years ago after Brittany moved to Tennessee from the motherland of Whataburger: Texas. The couple got married nine years ago — their anniversary falls on the same day Whataburger opens in Hermitage.
"It's really symbolic that Texas came to Tennessee once and now Texas has come to Tennessee, 12 years ago and then again here," Brittany said, referring to both herself and the burger franchise. "We already had a sitter for the kids, we were already planning on going, like doing a little staycation, leaving tonight and coming back on Thursday, so we were already dropping off the kids so when we found out that it was tonight, we said -- why not kick it off that way?"
Whataburger has announced plans to open eight locations in the Middle Tennessee area in total.
A location in Gallatin at 1123 Nashville Pike is expected to open in early 2022. In mid 2022, Whataburger will open one in Murfreesboro at 1835 Old Fort Parkway, one in Lebanon at 450 TN-109. Four additional locations will open in the fall: 630 S. Cumberland Street in Lebanon; 1715 Gallatin Pike N. in Madison; 360 W. Sam Ridley Parkway in Smyrna; 11190 Lebanon Road in Mt. Juliet.
