Whataburger Opens Its First Southwest Florida Location in South Fort Myers

Whataburger opened its first Southwest Florida location on September 10, 2026, at 12916 South Cleveland Avenue in south Fort Myers, according to reporting published the same day by WINK News and Gulfshore Business. The Texas-based chain opened its doors at 11 a.m., between Mission Barbeque and Carrabba's Italian Grill along the South Cleveland Avenue corridor.

I am Kris Asquith, Broker Associate at Premiere Plus Realty, and I sell across nine Southwest Florida markets including Fort Myers.

The site most recently operated as an Aussie Grill, and before that as a Boston Market, according to Gulfshore Business's reporting on the opening. Whataburger hired roughly 100 employees for the new restaurant, managed by Greg Dunn, ahead of the September 10 opening.

Whataburger Chief Executive Debbie Stroud was quoted by Gulfshore Business describing the chain's approach to a new market: "We're not chasing a quantity as much as we're chasing quality," she said, adding that the food is "made to order" with "fresh beef, never frozen."

Yes. Both WINK News and Gulfshore Business reported that a line had formed well before the doors opened, with the first customer, Daniel Rodriguez Jr., having camped out overnight to be first through the door. He told Gulfshore Business his order would be "the spicy chicken sandwich with fries, and probably a Sprite," and was sent home with a year's worth of weekly meal vouchers for the wait.

Long lines for a chain's first appearance in a new market are not unusual for Whataburger in particular, which has one of the more devoted followings in fast food and now operates more than 1,200 restaurants across 17 states, according to Gulfshore Business's reporting.

Yes. Gulfshore Business's reporting on the opening said a second regional location is planned to open on October 22, 2026, in Estero, with a possible additional location in Port Charlotte under consideration for 2027. The south Fort Myers restaurant is being treated by the chain as the first of several planned openings across the region rather than a one-off.

Nobody can honestly say what one new restaurant does to property values nearby, and it is fair to be skeptical of anyone who claims otherwise. What is confirmed is that the South Cleveland Avenue corridor in south Fort Myers, already home to a run of national retailers and restaurants, has one more option that was not there a week ago, which is a real, if modest, change to daily convenience in that part of the city.

Fort Myers sits inland along the Caloosahatchee River, and buyers here are typically weighing an established, service-rich corridor against more traditional waterfront stock elsewhere in the nine markets I cover. Fort Myers new construction, Fort Myers condos and Fort Myers waterfront homes cover more of what is currently on the market near this part of the city.

As one small data point about a growing commercial corridor, not as a reason to rush a decision on a specific property. A new restaurant opening is a sign that a stretch of road is drawing more traffic and more retail interest, and it is a separate question entirely from what a given address nearby is actually worth to own, insure and maintain.

The details that decide that, flood zone, condition, HOA rules where one applies, what a survey and inspection turn up, are the kind of thing the home buying process walks through before you are ever under contract, not something a restaurant opening can answer for you.

If you are weighing a property near South Cleveland Avenue, or anywhere else across the nine markets I cover, get in touch or call (239) 300-1427 for a straight read on that specific address.