Whataburger settles on different 24/7 spot in this SC city after community uproar. Here’s where

Whataburger has withdrawn its application to open a 24-hour restaurant close to downtown Greenville and has opted instead for a site on Woodruff Road, a busy area flush with other restaurants and retail.

It is a renovation of a TGI Friday’s.

Initially the hamburger chain wanted to locate on Laurens Road in a former Title Max but met with stiff resistance from nearby homeowners who bristled at the idea of noise, lights and smells overnight.

The Greenville Board of Zoning Appeals denied the request for midnight to 5 a.m. operation. Whataburger then sued the city.

The Woodruff Road location won easy approval Thursday night by the zoning board.

In its application for the Woodruff Road site, Whataburger said, “The extended hours of the drive-through will allow the restaurant to serve those in the community that keep the residents safe and well such as hospital staff, police officers, EMTs, the fire department and any other member of the community involved in shift work.”

The business is projected to bring in $3.4 million a year.

Whataburger is in the midst of a rapid expansion including nine in South Carolina this year and has announced plans for four more in 2025.

A location farther south on Woodruff Road from the one approved Thursday will be the first to open. The restaurant is expected to open this summer on the site of a closed KFC.

The chain plans to open in Mauldin, Boiling Springs, Anderson, Spartanburg, Columbia, Lexington and Irmo.

Next year, Whataburgers are expected in Easley, Duncan, Columbia and Lexington.

The city of Greenville shared the news of the Woodrufff Road location on Instagram. The response was mixed from it’s a blessing to great, more fast food. And then there was this: “Wake me up when it’s In-N-Out.”