In-N-Out, Whataburger are in Tennessee. Could they be coming to Kentucky?
Two major burger chains that readers lust after are inching their way closer to Kentucky: In-N-Out Burger and Whataburger.
Can it be long before they land in Lexington? The demand is definitely there for both.
Fans routinely share their menu favorites online and a 2022 Kentucky.com poll found both among restaurant chains readers most want to see come here.
But online speculation and wishes from adoring fans are different from company plans. So, could they two popular burger chains make their way further north?
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In-N-Out Burger
In January 2023, California-based In-N-Out Burger announced plans to come to Tennessee in a big way, answering the prayers of fans who rave about the beloved smash burgers.
Besides In-N-Out Burger restaurants, the chain is building offices in Franklin, south of Nashville, that will serve as a base of operations for In-N-Out Burger’s expansion to the eastern half of the U.S.
“’We are very excited to provide Tennesseans with our quality burgers, fries and shakes,” said Lynsi Snyder, In-N-Out owner, president and sole granddaughter of Harry and Esther, in a news release. “In every decision I make, I always consider what my family would want. I have no doubt that my grandparents, dad and uncle would be proud of this decision to grow our Associate family and serve even more amazing Customers beginning in Nashville and the surrounding areas.”
While it might be a stretch to consider Kentucky part of “the surrounding area” of Nashville, it’s clear that In-N-Out has plans to grow quickly.
The company will open the first In-N-Out east of the Mississippi River in the Franklin headquarters. Construction is expected to begin in 2024 on the corporate office and restaurant, which is expected to open by the end of the year.
And recently In-N-Out Burger filed paperwork for a Nashville location. Additional restaurants will be coming in 2026, according to the company.
When asked about the possibility of coming I-65 into the Bluegrass, Mike Abbate assistant vice president of Real Estate and Development for In-N-Out Burger said in a statement: “In response to your question, we currently do not have any plans to open a location in Kentucky, although we know it’s a wonderful state.”
Read into that whatever you like, burger fans. And keep your eyes peeled for more news on when you can get your mitts on a hot fresh In-N-Out burger with the secret sauce closer to home.
Whataburger
Meanwhile, Texas-based Whataburger is expanding in Tennessee too.
The same 300-acre Century Farms development in Nashville’s Antioch neighborhood that is going to welcome an In-N-Out Burger apparently is also getting a Whataburger. (Lucky dogs.)
Whataburger, known for burgers that take two hands to hold and its “fancy ketchup,” opened its first Tennessee restaurant in January 2022 in Hermitage and has been spreading like a Texas wildfire through Middle Tennessee with 14 already.
The closest to Kentucky so far are in Clarksville, near Fort Campbell.
So how long before it jumps the state line? The company has not responded to requests for comment.
Whataburger has nearly 1,000 locations through out the U.S. and has been growing throughout the South; it’s now in Georgia, Florida and Alabama, with plans for restaurants in the Carolinas.
