Whataburger permanently closed eight restaurants in Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee in mid-December 2024, a targeted pullback affecting recent expansion markets. Seven sites shut at 11:59 p.m. on December 15, with Athens, Georgia, closing December 14, occurring during a Southeast expansion the company says it is refining. The chain cited routine reviews to prioritize higher-potential areas and redirect resources from underperforming locations. Closures hit Auburn, Tuscaloosa, Athens, and Middle Tennessee suburbs, altering late-night and drive-thru options. Several units were less than a year old after a rapid 2022–2024 rollout. Employees are being offered transfers. Whataburger says fewer than 1% of locations are affected, while a 2026 plan targets about 70 new openings, more than 40 in the Southeast.
