Whataburger proposes to develop a double-drive-thru prototype restaurant at southeast Southside Boulevard and Baymeadows Road.
The almost 3,200-square-foot restaurant is planned on about 1 acre between Walgreens and AutoZone.
Agent, engineer and architect Sevan Multi-Site Solutions says in a letter to the St. Johns River Water Management District that its client, Mahogany Properties LLC, proposes to develop the vacant parcel.
It is described as a “prototypical Whataburger fast food restaurant with drive-through.”
The developer is listed on civil engineering plans filed with the city that Silvercreek Whataburger is the developer.
Sevan, based in Downers Grove, Illinois, near Chicago, submitted the plans to the city June 30.
Whataburger has at least five locations in the Jacksonville area.
Others with the new design are in development at 11559 Atlantic Blvd. in Atlantic North at northwest Kernan and Atlantic and at 10600 San Jose Blvd. in Mandarin.
St. Johns County is working on two new Whataburgers that likely will have the new design.
In July 2020, Nation’s Restaurant News said on nrn.com that Whataburger Inc. “pulled the wraps off what it sees as the look of its future.”
San Antonio, Texas-based Whataburger Inc., which the year before sold a majority stake to a Chicago-based private equity firm, shared renderings of its plans for a refreshed look and disclosed plans to begin franchising again.
In a July 2, 2020, news release the company said that along with plans for expansion, it would roll out a new look for its restaurants “to better serve our guests, increase our capacity, and continue to deliver the quality food and friendly customer service our customers expect from us.”
“Whataburger will introduce new restaurant models and remodels that have a reduced environmental impact by using renewable resources when possible, LED lighting and more efficient equipment for 24-hour use,” it said.
The release said more restaurants soon would feature elements of the new look. Remodels will vary based on the needs of each location, ranging from kitchen and exterior upgrades in some restaurants to major updates in others.
“What’s not changing? The iconic elements we’re known for,” it said.
“There are a lot of things our customers hold sacred about Whataburger, including the iconic A-frame, orange and white stripes, and the strong link to our history,” James Turcotte, senior vice president of real estate, said in the release.
“Whataburger’s new restaurant designs and remodels will stay true to our unique look, just in an updated and fresh way.”
