Colorado Springs’ opening of first Whataburger store pushed back due to construction delays

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- Whataburger, the popular Texas-based fast food restaurant that was supposed to open in Colorado Springs late last year, is now scheduled to start business in late winter or early spring of this this year.

A corporate spokesperson who was unavailable for an interview Wednesday, told KRDO NewsChannel 13 by phone that the store being built along Interquest Parkway on the city's north end should be ready for business "in early 2022."

Bob Cope, the city's economic development director, agrees with that timeline.

"Yes, and we were thinking February or March, probably no later than April, he said. "Success breeds success and I do expect others restaurants to follow suit. They all watch each other and see what's successful. Maybe we're still not big enough for a Cheesecake Factory, which most people seem to ask for. But we're big enough to be attractive to many restaurant chains."

There appears to be a considerable amount of work remaining at the construction site; workers were busy there on Wednesday and the parking lot was filled with construction materials.

Ironically, the spokesperson said that "construction delays" are responsible for moving the opening date back; she didn't specify whether supply chain issues with materials are causing the delay.

Employees for the Whataburger store are being trained in a building near the intersection of Powers Boulevard and Constitution Avenue; one trainee said that he thought the store would open in a few weeks.

In announcing its intent to come to Colorado Springs, Whataburger said that it will eventually build and open stores elsewhere in the city.

Meanwhile, the In-N-Out Burger chain has opened two city locations within a year: On Interquest just east of the Whataburger location, and on Constitution across the street from Whataburger's training facility -- the area where Whataburger intends to open its second location.