Diners often take a trip to McDonald’s, Burger King, or Wendy’s to order a burger and fries at the counter, before sitting down to enjoy their meal.
In my neck of the woods in the Golden State, I always order at the counter at In-N-Out burger, whether eating inside or taking out, because the drive-thru lines are always unbelievably long.
As more people began to either take out meals or use the drive-thru windows, burger chain Whataburger on Aug. 14, 2023, introduced a digital-forward restaurant platform at its new restaurant in Tuscaloosa, Ala., near University of Alabama. Whataburger also opened a fully digital restaurant experiment in the Austin, Texas, area on Sept. 5, 2023.
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Whataburger closes its digital location
After three years of operating its first fully digital, cashless location in the Austin, Texas, suburb of Bee Cave, Whataburger also closed that restaurant permanently in September 2026. The company regularly performs business reviews of its locations to maximize opportunities for growth, which sometimes requires the closing of locations, the company told Community Impact in an email
“This decision helps focus our efforts where we can make the biggest impact, ensuring our guests continue to enjoy the high quality, delicious food and genuine hospitality they’ve come to expect from Whataburger,” according to the spokesperson.
Digital Kitchen opened in 2023
Whataburger opened its first cashless Digital Kitchen in Bee Cave, Texas, in September 2023, which had a digital pick-up lane or exterior, weather-resistant food lockers to pick up orders. The 2,300-square-foot restaurant employed about 50 workers, the Houston Chronicle reported, and had no traditional indoor seating, curbside pick-up or drive-thru windows.
The Tuscaloosa restaurant, which employed 65 workers, allowed guests to order online, on the Whataburger Rewards App or at self-service ordering kiosks in the store. Orders could be picked up at the restaurant food lockers.
The restaurant had a smaller dining room and a simplified menu, focusing on Whataburger’s showcase items, according to the chain’s website.
Tuscaloosa concept restaurant closed
Whataburger’s Tuscaloosa digital-forward concept was not successful as the restaurant in the University Town Center closed on Dec. 15, 2025. The Tuscaloosa closure was among eight Whataburger closures in Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee in December 2025.
The other seven Whataburger restaurants that closed were located in Auburn, Ala.; Mt. Juliet, Tenn.; Murfreesboro, Tenn.; two in Clarksville, Tenn.; Dahlonega, Ga.; and Athens, Ga.
Chain also opening new restaurants
While Whataburger has closed several locations since 2025, by the end of November, the burger chain will have opened 17 new restaurants in seven states.
The chain was set to open three restaurants in August, three in September, eight in October, and three in November, USA Today reported.
Whataburger has plans to open new locations in 38 cities in 11 states, FinanceBuzz reported
Whataburger was founded by Harmon Dobson in 1950 in Corpus Christi, Texas. The 75-year-old burger chain operates about 1,130 restaurants in 17 states and is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, but the chain is closed on Christmas Day, according to its website.
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