Three of five locations set to open in the bay area this year will be in Pasco County.
By MELIA BOWIE
Published February 28, 2004
Whataburger, Inc., a Texas-based burger chain with locations in Florida's Panhandle, is expanding into Pasco this year with several franchises planned for across the county.
The burger chain, which debuted in Corpus Christi back in 1950 when former bush pilot and entrepreneur Harmon Dobson opened a a small hamburger stand, now has about 612 locations - 236 of them are franchises, said company spokeswoman Pam Cox.
Now franchisee Brad Sykes, regional vice president of Austin-based Veste Capital, is targeting the Tampa Bay area as a new hot spot for the company. Whataburgers typically employ 60 to 70 people, are about 3,000 square feet in size and cost about $1.5-million to build, depending on land prices.
"We are looking at five or six different sites in Pasco County," Sykes said. Among them "we're looking at Wesley Chapel, Zephyrhills, the I-75 and (SR) 56 areas and Little Road."
Whataburger's first area location is set to open in Pinellas County at U.S. 19 and Alderman Road in mid to late July, Sykes said.
Veste Capital, which has the Whataburger franchise rights for the bay area market, will then follow up with its first location in Pasco, likely to be at U.S. 19 and Glissdale Drive in New Port Richey.
The permitting process has begun, he said.
Whataburger locations are open 24 hours, feature the company's custom-made burgers, table-side service, complimentary mints and also offer breakfast.
Three of the five locations set to open in Tampa Bay this year are in Pasco.
Sykes said in the next seven years, his company plans to open 99 Whataburger locations in the Tampa Bay and Central Florida markets. Along with locations in Jacksonville and Tallahassee, it will make the chain's presence about 128-strong in Florida.
- Melia Bowie covers business in Pasco County. She can be reached in west Pasco at 869-6229, or toll-free at 1-800-333-7505, ext. 6229. Her e-mail address is bowie@sptimes.com
