Sunday, May 14, 2023

[SCOOP] Whataburger Wants to Drop Anchor in Alpharetta

One of the next new Whataburger restaurants could be in Alpharetta.  The Texas-based company has submitted plans to the City of Alpharetta for a new location just off Exit 8 of Georgia 400, not far from North Point Mall.  Specifically, the new Whataburger is being proposed on the site of the former Atlantic Seafood Co. (2345 Mansell Road) which has been vacant since the restaurant's January 2020 closure after nearly two decades in business.  

Alpharetta area resident and food reviewer Joe Duffy (@AtlantaGrubber) earlier this week first announced Whataburger's new Alpharetta restaurant was a done deal, but it's actually not.  

Whataburger and its local franchisee Made to Order Holdings, LLC, want to replace the roughly 8,700 square foot building with a new roughly 3,700 square foot building with a drive-thru on the roughly two acre site. The restaurant, like others in the chain, would be open 24/7.   The franchisee is seeking both an amendment to the Resurgens Park Master Plan and a Conditional Use Permit in order to proceed with its plans.  

The restaurant's plans were presented at the City of Alpharetta's Community Zoning Information meeting (CZIM) on Wednesday May 10.  The City of Alpharetta Planning Commission will review the request on Thursday, June 1 (6:30 PM Alpharetta City Hall 2 Park Plaza) before being heard by the City Council Monday June 26 (6:30 PM Alpharetta City Hall 2 Park Plaza.)   

"We are requesting an amendment to the Resurgens Park Master Plan to modify Condition #10 to allow a restaurant with drive-through facilities.  In addition, we are requesting a Conditional Use Permit to build a restaurant with drive-through the O-I Office-Institutional Zoning District, where it is allowed as a conditional subordinate use."  

Made To Order Holdings, LLC plans to be a good neighbor by connecting its restaurant with the nearby Big Creek Greenway as well as modifying their prototypical building to make it more pedestrian friendly.  

"Our team is excited about this site and the opportunity to be part of the transformation of the North Point District by embracing the EcoDistrict Design Guidelines. In the spirit of connectivity, we plan to extend sidewalks to connect with the Mansell Road and Resurgens Park Place intersection, providing access to North Point and the Big Creek Greenway. We are planning to modify our modern prototypical building design to cater to pedestrian and cyclist customers by adding an outdoor dining area and a walk-up window.  In this endeavor, we will also be decreasing the amount of impermeable surface by decreasing the building footprint and eliminating over half of the existing parking spaces. At the same time, we will be increasing the number of bike racks and adding trees and landscaped areas."  

The company concludes their application saying: 

"We believe that Made To Order’s Whataburger’s redevelopment in this priority area of Alpharetta will  showcase how a quick service restaurant with a few design modifications can become an integral part of a  high-quality, modern, and connected community as envisioned in the City of Alpharetta’s Horizon 2040  Comprehensive Plan and further defined by the North Point Livable Centers Initiative Plan."

If approved, the new Whataburger would be situated between Buca di Beppo Italian and Passador Brazilian Steakhouse.  Across the street in an outparcel of the Studio Movie Grill-anchored Mansell Crossing sits an existing and likely endangered Burger King restaurant.  

San Antonio-based Whataburgr first entered the metro Atlanta market this past November with a restaurant along Chastain Road in Kennesaw.  Earlier this year the company debuted new locations in Woodstock, Buford and Cumming and has plans to open several more before the end of the year.  Among those planned for 2023 openings are three converted former Joella's Hot Chicken (originally Pollo Tropical) restaurants in Akers Mill, Kennesaw and Newnan.  

The company previously said it plans to open ten locations in Georgia in 2023, including the aforementioned units as well as those planned for Monroe, Covington, Athens, Snellville and Dawsonville.  ToNeTo Atlanta reported January 4 that the company also plans to open in place of a shuttered Steak 'n Shake restaurant along Woodstock Road in Roswell.  The chain has Texas-sized aspirations of having 50 new Whataburger restaurants open in Georgia by 2030.

Are you excited at the prospect of having a Whataburger in Alpharetta? If you've been to one of the new Atlanta area Whataburger restaurants, did it meet, not meet, or exceed your expectations?  Where else in metro Atlanta would you like to see Whataburger open?

Please share your thoughts below.  

10 comments:

Ham said...

Apparently, Gwinnett and Fuqua (I believe) are working on redevelopment of the old Olympic Tennis center off of Stone Mnt. Freeway. Rumor has it a Whataburger, Chick-fil-a and Costco are part of the plan along with "luxury" apartments. Any insight?

Anonymous said...

Alpharetta is a much needed location.

Anonymous said...

YES!!!!! i live in san Antonio Tx for 10yrs ,,..and i came to georgia in 2000 love to have a whataburger close to me!!!!!!!

Fracisco GARCIA said...

i LIVE IN sAN aNTONIO tx FOR 10 YRS MOVE TO GA IN 2000 ,,,,I WILL LOVE TO HAVE AwHATABURGER CLOSE TO ME!!!!!!

Jodyml813 said...

I'm surprised they're not considering the Del Taco location on highway 9. I don't think they were open more than a year or two and I would think the renovation of that space would be cheaper than Atlanta Seafood

Anonymous said...

savoy drive in chamblee would be an excellent location. particularly where the indian restaurant burned down.

Anonymous said...

savoy doesn't get anywhere near the traffic counts this type of place needs to thrive. I'm amazed the Wendy's and Taco Bell can survive on Savoy...

Anonymous said...

I'd bet none of the Joella's conversions open in 2023.

Anonymous said...

Johns Creek please !!!

Anonymous said...

Yes

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