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Gatesville’s old Burger King is trading the Whopper for Whataburger.
Whataburger is moving into the former Burger King at 2733 State Highway 36 Business, where a $1 million renovation will convert the existing restaurant into Gatesville’s first location for the Texas-born burger chain.
The project covers approximately 2,897 square feet and includes the conversion of the existing restaurant into a Whataburger.
Construction is currently scheduled to continue through Jan. 4, 2027.
And several pieces of evidence show this project has moved well beyond the planning stage.
Burger King Makes Way for Whataburger
The building at 2733 State Highway 36 Business previously operated as a Burger King.
Commercial property records show the approximately 3,072-square-foot restaurant was built in 2018 on a 1.36-acre site with 39 parking spaces. Commercial property information for 2733 State Highway 36
Whataburger isn’t planning another ground-up restaurant on the property.
Instead, the state construction filing describes a $1 million renovation of the existing restaurant, with approximately 2,897 square feet included in the project.
That means a relatively young fast-food building is getting another life rather than being replaced entirely.
And the timing of the transition is particularly interesting.
The Transition Started Right on Schedule
Restaurant equipment from the former business at 2733 South State Highway 36 was placed up for auction earlier this year.
Pickup was scheduled for June 8, 2026.
That happens to be the exact same date listed as the anticipated construction start for the Whataburger conversion.
The matching dates provide a strong indication that the property was being cleared as work on the new restaurant prepared to move forward.
But there’s an even newer sign of progress.
Whataburger Is Already Hiring in Gatesville
Whataburger has begun recruiting management for the new restaurant.
A company job listing identifies the future location as Unit 1743 – Gatesville, TX, with a work address of 2733 State Highway 36 in Gatesville.
That matches the construction site exactly.
So while Gatesville doesn’t have an operating Whataburger yet, the company is already building the team that will run it.
Whataburger’s current location directory also does not list an existing Gatesville restaurant, making this the chain’s first location in the city. Whataburger Texas locations
For a community surrounded by Whataburger markets elsewhere in Central Texas, that’s about to change.
Gatesville Is Supporting the Project
The City of Gatesville also has a role in bringing Whataburger to town.
The city’s economic development records list Whataburger Restaurants LLC among businesses associated with a Chapter 380 economic development agreement. City of Gatesville Chapter 380 agreements
Texas cities can use Chapter 380 agreements to encourage economic development and private investment through performance-based incentives.
The publicly indexed information does not provide enough detail to confidently state the exact value or structure of Gatesville’s Whataburger agreement, so those terms remain unclear.
What is clear is that the city formally identified the restaurant as an economic development project.
Whataburger Picked Gatesville’s Main Retail Corridor
The location makes plenty of sense.
State Highway 36 serves as one of Gatesville’s primary commercial corridors, and the former Burger King property already sits among several national restaurants and retailers.
The site is across Highway 36 from Walmart Supercenter, with businesses such as McDonald’s, Taco Bell, Sonic and Walgreens also established in the surrounding corridor. Property information for the future Whataburger site
Instead of creating a new restaurant site somewhere else in Gatesville, Whataburger is moving directly into an established fast-food property with parking, road access and existing commercial development surrounding it.
The $1 million renovation will transform that building for its next restaurant tenant.
A Texas Favorite Finally Reaches Gatesville
Whataburger has grown far beyond its South Texas beginnings since Harmon Dobson opened the first restaurant in Corpus Christi in 1950.
But despite the chain’s enormous Texas presence, Gatesville has remained without one.
That’s now changing.
The former Burger King building is being converted, the city has an economic development agreement connected to Whataburger, and the company is already recruiting for Gatesville Unit 1743.
The construction schedule currently runs through Jan. 4, 2027. That date represents the anticipated completion of construction rather than a confirmed restaurant opening date.
Whataburger has not publicly announced a grand-opening date.
Still, Gatesville residents no longer have to wonder whether the orange-and-white stripes are really coming.
The city’s first Whataburger is officially taking shape along Highway 36.