Whataburger plans new Orlando restaurant on East Colonial Drive, marking return after 2009 exits

A Texas-based chain returns to Central Florida after a long absence

Whataburger is preparing to return to the Orlando market, with plans moving forward for a new restaurant along East Colonial Drive. If completed and opened as planned, the location would mark the brand’s first Orlando-area unit since the chain exited Central Florida in 2009, a withdrawal that followed the closure of multiple restaurants across Orlando, Tampa, Gainesville and Ocala.

The new site is tied to an approved conversion of an existing, vacant restaurant building inside the Town Park Shopping Center corridor on East Colonial Drive. Public permitting records describe the project as a renovation and conversion rather than a ground-up build, a strategy that can shorten development timelines by reusing an existing footprint while still requiring substantial upgrades for a drive-thru operation.

Where the Orlando restaurant is planned

Plans filed with Orange County indicate the proposed Whataburger would be located at 12305 E. Colonial Drive. Permit documentation associated with the conversion identifies a restaurant size of 2,554 square feet and includes drive-thru-related infrastructure elements typically required for quick-service operations.

• Directional signage for on-site vehicle routing
• A clearance bar, commonly used to manage vehicle height near drive-thru canopies
• A drive-thru window and a canopy structure
• A menu board positioned for drive-thru ordering

Project filings provide a snapshot of the intended layout and vehicle flow but do not, by themselves, confirm an opening date. Restaurant openings are often dependent on construction completion, final inspections, and staffing readiness.

Why “after 17 years” matters: the 2009 Central Florida pullout

Whataburger’s return is notable because the company previously operated in Central Florida for only a short period before closing its regional restaurants at the end of May 2009. Industry reporting at the time described the closures as a retrenchment driven by underperforming sales, affecting multiple Central Florida markets and effectively ending the brand’s presence in Orlando and nearby areas for more than a decade.

The planned Orlando reopening follows a period in which the chain maintained and expanded its footprint in other parts of Florida while Central Florida remained without local units.

How this fits into Whataburger’s broader Florida strategy

In recent years, the company has continued expanding in Florida, with growth concentrated in regions outside Orlando, including continued development in Northeast Florida and a major push to re-enter the Tampa Bay area with multiple locations planned through 2027. The Orlando project adds Central Florida back into the chain’s expansion map and signals renewed interest in high-traffic retail corridors that support drive-thru volumes.

For Orlando-area consumers, the next milestones to watch are building conversion progress, final permitting steps, and any future filings that clarify operating timelines.