Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes opens Whataburger in Kansas City
Victoria HernandezKansas City is fiercely proud of its barbeque, but it has welcomed another popular fast-food establishment with open arms: Whataburger.
Local darling Patrick Mahomes, as a member of the ownership group KMO Burger, opened his first Whataburger location in Western Kansas City to ecstatic fanfare. The restaurant is the Texas-based company's first in the state of Kansas.
“It’s great to bring a gift from my first home to my second home," Mahomes, who hails from Tyler, Texas and played college football at Texas Tech, said in a press release.
The restaurant handed out gift baskets, including vouchers for free Whataburger for a year, to the first two dine-in and first two drive-thru customers. KSHB reporter Charlie Keegan was on the ground for opening day and reported that Chiefs fan Bella, 11, got to the new restaurant with her dad 15 hours before its 11 a.m. opening. He also posted at 3 a.m. local time that there was already a line formed. Kansas City police announced a new traffic route to accommodate a higher volume of cars in the area.
The restaurant pays tribute to its Super Bowl champion owner with a framed jersey hanging on the wall and a mural.
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Local fans are taking their kids to the establishment for their famous Dr. Pepper shakes and one employee posted his excitement about serving a burger to Patrick Mahomes himself.
The Texas-based chain opened its first location in Kansas City in December and there are now five in the greater metropolitan area. Mahomes has previously expressed his love for Whataburger, asking them in 2018 to bring a store to his new place of residence.
"It's definitely something that I'm glad it's in Kansas City and Kansas City embraces it just like we do down in Texas," Mahomes said on 610 Sports' The Drive in November.
Mahomes expects to open 30 locations in seven years around the Kansas City area.