Midlands soon getting 1st Whataburger — not to be confused with What-A-Burger. Here’s where

Will you be one of the four people in line at 11 a.m. Monday for the opening of the first Whataburger in the Midlands?

If you’re one of two in the drive thru or one of two inside, you’ll get a gift basket and free food for a year.

And 200 others will get gift packs.

The restaurant is located at 1185 Dutch Fork Road in Irmo. It’s near the Ballentine Family YMCA, a Walmart and several other fast food restaurants.

Another Whataburger is set to open this fall in the Midlands, at 202 Bridgeberry Lane, northeast of downtown Columbia, company officials said in a news release Wednesday.

So far, the Texas-based chain — not to be confused with locally owned What-A-Burger — has opened locations in Greenville, Anderson, Boiling Springs, and Mauldin at a pace of one every two weeks since July.

The openings have attracted large numbers of people, so much so law enforcement and private security personnel have stepped in to direct traffic.

To come this fall are restaurants at 1941 E Main St., Spartanburg; 1510 W.O. Ezell Blvd., Spartanburg and 888 South Lake Drive, Lexington. In 2025, the company has announced it will build restaurants at 5648 Calhoun Memorial Parkway, Easley (spring) and 1537 E. Main St., Duncan (summer).

Whataburger President and CEO Ed Nelson, a South Carolina native and Clemson graduate, has said the restaurants have felt like a homecoming.

“As a native son, I’ve always known that our state’s rich culture and warm hospitality would be the perfect match for Whataburger’s tradition of bold flavors and extraordinary service,” he said.

The restaurant chain, founded in 1950, has more than 1,030 locations. Its entry into South Carolina marks 16 states, which the company is calling Sweet 16.