Whataburger on the way to Dahlonega after City land deal

A brand new Whataburger is on the way to downtown Dahlonega.
If all goes according to plan, the corner of Riley Road and Morrison Moore Parkway, known mostly for a longtime empty lot and plenty of kudzu, will be home to the popular fast food eatery famous for high-stacked burgers and “fancy ketchup.”
Though Whataburger representatives have made no public announcement about the franchise, a deal involving the City of Dahlonega and the real estate group of BW Dahlonega LLC seems to confirm the upcoming development.
On Monday, council members approved a deed which will transfer a .02 acre right-of-way to the City of Dahlonega.
“We’re asking you to approve the deed and approve acceptance of the delivery of the deed when it is executed,” said City Attorney Doug Parks. “We expect that to be soon but it has not occurred yet.”
City Manager Allison Martin said this will allow for a smoother construction process.
“The property line where they’re proposed to build was not a straight property line and it was going to make the sidewalk, and the way they would have to construct things, not line up,” she said. “So we agreed to work with them because they were putting in sidewalk and needed to shift a little infrastructure.”
Officials described it as a low cost endeavor that required minimal commitment from the City.
“The City gets a right-of-way from Whataburger and it cleans up the property line,” Martin said. “There was no real cost to the city for this other than to review it.”

BURGER TIME

This debut of a Dahlonega Whataburger would be in line with the company’s recent expansion across Georgia.
A new in-state location of the Texas-based franchise opened for business earlier this year in Kennesaw. Since then there have been multiple Whataburger openings, including a nearby one in Cumming.
“Whataburger will bring more than 50 restaurants to the Atlanta area over the next five years,” stated a release from the company.
So when can local Whataburger fans look forward to lining up at the upcoming restaurant?
That remains to be seen.
Dahlonega was not on the list of upcoming 2023 openings on the company site. And multiple attempts to contact Whataburger representatives were unanswered by press-time.
Martin said the details will become more concrete soon.
“We don't yet have a timeline for Whataburger,” she said. “I can tell you that we have plans and meetings are scheduled, but that's all I know at this point.”
But once the bulldozers begin to roll, the new land deal will likely put the fast food project on a faster track.
“It’s just one of those things that made them feel better about the project,” said Martin. “And we were happy to work with them.”