Whataburger celebrated the grand opening of its second Southwest Florida restaurant Oct. 22 at 22927 Lyden Drive in Estero, across from Coconut Point. Will and Thalita Mynatt arrived two days early to secure the first spots in line, earning vouchers for free Whataburger for a year. The new restaurant has seating for 158 customers and operates daily from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.
For the second time in as many months, Whataburger has opened a new restaurant in Southwest Florida.
Whataburger again had a line out the door, this time at 11 a.m. Oct. 22 at 22927 Lyden Drive in Estero, just across U.S. 41 from Coconut Point shopping center. Whataburger, founded by the late Harmon Dobson in 1950 as a burger stand in Corpus Christi, Texas, has grown to more than 1,200 locations and has been expanding in Florida in recent years.
On Sept. 10, Whataburger opened at 12916 S. Cleveland Ave. in Fort Myers in what had been an Aussie Grill and Boston Market. That grand opening had a line of cars down the street.
Since then, the lines have been almost constant.
“Our fans continue to surprise us,” said Juan Valenzuela, Whataburger’s senior field marketing and events manager. “As long as we continue to deliver goodness, we’re always going to have fans who continue to support us.”
The new Whataburger at 22927 Lyden Drive in Estero opened Oct. 22, becoming the chain's second Southwest Florida restaurant. The location has a capacity of 158 customers and operates daily from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Will Mynatt, who owns a construction sales and consulting company and lives near Gulf Coast Town Center, first discovered Whataburger about six months ago in Destin. He wanted to be first in line at the Estero location. He arrived at 11 a.m. Oct. 20 and was asked to return at 2 p.m. that day.
“We tried to go to the Fort Myers location when it opened, but it was already packed,” Mynatt said. “I said, ‘No worries. I’m going to beat the 36 hours by showing up 48 hours early.’”
Thalita Mynatt, Will’s wife, alternated between camping in their Tesla and sitting in a lawn chair in front of Whataburger’s front door. The first two customers in the drive-thru line and the first two customers outside each received 52 weekly Whataburger vouchers for free food for a year.
Will Mynatt, left, and his wife, Thalita, display No. 1 cards outside the new Whataburger in Estero. The couple arrived two days before the Oct. 22 opening to secure the first spots in line and received vouchers for free food for a year.
That wasn’t the only giveaway. Todd Muse, the operating partner in Estero, presented Harry Chapin Food Bank with a check for $2,500.
Zack Wallen, Whataburger’s growth market leader for Florida, congratulated the Mynatts on being first in line.
“We’re entering our 77th year,” Wallen said. “To see where we’ve grown today is an honor and a pleasure. We started as a simple burger stand, and now we’re a long and enduring brand.”
The Estero location is larger than the one in Fort Myers, with a capacity of 158 customers compared with 86. The workforce will be about 80 employees. Another difference between the two locations is the hours. The Fort Myers location is open 24 hours a day. The Estero location, because of local ordinances, will be open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Customers gather outside the new Whataburger at 22927 Lyden Drive in Estero for its Oct. 22 grand opening. The restaurant is the Texas-based burger chain's second Southwest Florida location, following its September debut in south Fort Myers.
Whataburger likely will begin the process of opening additional Southwest Florida locations in the second half of 2027, Valenzuela said, with specifics to be announced next year.
“We’re excited about this location, being able to help the other location,” Valenzuela said. “Now, our fans will have a second option to go to, and we couldn’t be happier. The reason we opened in a location is this is where our fans told us they wanted us to be. And this is why we are here, in Estero.”
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.