Refuel to open its first Whataburger

• Refuel Operating Company is planning to open its first-ever site with a Whataburger adjacent to one of its convenience stores, Travis Smith, the retailer’s co-founder and co-CEO, confirmed to C-Store Dive.

• The Whataburger, expected to open in late 2026, will be located at an upcoming Refuel convenience store in Kenedy, Texas, a small town about 60 miles southeast of San Antonio. It will feature the burger chain’s full menu as well as a drive-thru, Colleen Barrett, vice president of development and construction for Refuel, said in a statement.

• Refuel continues to diversify its roster of QSRs, which includes over 30 c-store adjacent restaurants such as Church’s Chicken, Dairy Queen, Subway, McDonald’s and Pollo El Rey, Barrett said.

Refuel, which owns and operates over 240 c-stores across South Carolina, North Carolina, Texas, Mississippi and Arkansas, is one of the many c-store retailers taking advantage of QSRs to boost site traffic as it grows its retail network. With foodservice becoming more of a focus for convenience retailers, operators are adding QSRs at breakneck speed to make their locations more food-focused destinations.

The Kenedy Whataburger will complement the adjacent Refuel c-store, which will still feature the retailer’s hot grab-and-go food program, merchandise, beverages and fuel services, Barrett said.

“Together, the combined offering is designed to drive traffic, increase dwell time, and deliver a more comprehensive convenience experience for our customers,” Barrett added.

Announcing its first Whataburger continues a busy past year for Refuel on the foodservice front. The retailer debuted its grab-and-go program, EATS, last April, and appointed a VP of foodservice and director of food strategy over the following few months.

Refuel isn’t the only convenience retailer showing an interest in Texas-based Whataburger. Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores is also in the process of developing its first Whataburger, which is expected to open in May in San Antonio.