Whataburger could expand further in KC, but first it needs to ‘feel like home’; here’s how KMO Burger says it’s going hyperlocal

After opening nearly two dozen Whataburger locations throughout the region — fueled by enthusiasm from two of Kansas City’s biggest sports stars — the Texas-built burger brand’s local franchisee is testing KC diners’ appetites before expanding further into or beyond the market.

Among the biggest surprises for KMO Burger so far: Many Kansas Citians still haven’t taste tested Whataburger’s highly customizable burger menu, said Amber Masters, noting the brand’s lineup boasts 36,000 possible combinations.

“Now our goal is about breaking through to those people to say, ‘Hey, how can we get you to sample our food?’ Because once people do try it, they love it,” explained Masters, who helps lead marketing efforts for Whataburger in the Kansas City area through KMO Burger, the Whataburger franchisee behind 21 restaurants across the region and eight others in Springfield, Joplin, and Branson, Missouri.

A mobile Whataburger activation pops up in Power & Light in late May as part of KMO Burger’s efforts to deepen the burger brand’s reach into Kansas City; courtesy photo

Building brand awareness and loyalty requires more than just market saturation, Masters acknowledged, drawing a contrast between the emerging Kansas and Missouri markets and Whataburger’s 70-year head start in Texas.

“It’s a different pull in Kansas City,” she told Startland News. “So we’re still trying to reach our audience and get them to know us, who we are, and the customizations that are behind our menus, where you can basically do anything and everything.” 

“There are so many different ways you can make a burger.”

That’s a reality Kansas City diners know well. The region is rich with local burger spots — from mainstays like Town Topic, Westport Flea Market, and Winstead’s to such popular newcomers as Cosmo Burger, Sauced. and Disco Burger.

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For KMO Burger — which includes Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes among its investors and most-vocal Whataburger evangelists — the recipe going forward will lean heavily on hyperlocalization.

High-profile activations include appearances by Texas-born sports stars Mahomes and Bobby Witt Jr. — the latter featured this spring in a “Wittaburger” mini-documentary after the Kansas City Royals standout became a Whataburger brand ambassador in 2024 — and providing meals at the annual Big Slick Celebrity Weekend.

But KMO Burger is just as focused on smaller-scale community engagement efforts like school fundraisers with Whataburger’s superhero mascot, “Whataguy,” and initiatives to support local youth sports, said Chris Perez, area leader for KMO Burger.

“We want to engage with our community,” he explained. “We’ll play ball with you. We want to do that for them. We can show up at their carnival. We can help their team. We can provide for their concessions.”

Kansas City Royals star shortstop and Whataburger brand ambassador Bobby Witt Jr. serves burgers on the sideline during a youth event; courtesy photo

A Lawrence, Kansas, native, Masters said she first fell in love with the brand’s iconic orange and white stripes when KMO Burger officially opened its first Kansas City restaurant in June 2022 on Parallel Parkway in Kansas City, Kansas — noting each Whataburger fan develops their own journey with the brand.

That includes Perez, who grew up in Lubbock, Texas, where Whataburger already had deep roots. He’s lived in North Kansas City for 27 years, building his career in the food industry, but never forgot the brand’s pull.

“We want Whataburger to feel like home,” he told Startland.

“The kind of impact that I want to create here is a lasting one,” Perez continued. “I want to create memories. Mine started in my early 20s, but I want to do that for the kids now. I want Kansas City to feel like Whataburger has always been there for them. Not just with food quality. We always want to serve great food and we always want to treat our guests right.”

Service outside the restaurants has meant giving back to such local causes as the Victory Project with Sporting Kansas City, the Boys and Girls Club of Kansas City, Children’s Mercy Hospital, Kansas City Urban Youth Academy, and Mahomes’ own 15 and the Mahomies Foundation, Masters said.

Chris Perez, area leader for KMO Burger, and Amber Masters, who helps lead marketing efforts for Whataburger in the Kansas City area through KMO Burger, participate in a community engagement event at Legoland Discovery Centre; courtesy photo

One of KMO Burger’s most-recent initiatives saw the franchisee give a $10,000 donation to the Refine the Future Foundation, a Kansas City nonprofit dedicated to removing financial barriers to youth soccer through scholarships, mentorship and player development. 

Amber Masters, field marketing for Whataburger, presents a novelty check to Christian Duke and Josh Duffy, Refine the Future Foundation board of directors; courtesy photo

On the heels of this summer’s FIFA World Cup domination in Kansas City, the donation will help sponsor about 25 local youth athletes through the foundation’s Path to Pro initiative.

“The biggest driver for me is just how my heart’s positioned. It’s all community-driven,” Masters said. “A lot of our business units are doing the community piece well, really focusing on the families, the school districts and their own local chamber chapters to see how we can plug in and just spread goodness 24/7. That’s obviously one of Whataburger’s taglines, but it’s also how we’re making those small impacts every single day, not just the overall big brand moments.”

KMO Burger has no immediate plans for additional locations, she noted, but that could change as demand builds and the right sites become available.

“At this point, we are just trying to really work and build on that brand affinity more by really just hyper-localizing with the 21,” Masters said. “I know there are no new plots that we’re looking for for 2027, but 2028 could definitely pivot. There are some places and spaces that I know are important pillars in our community that would be great to bring our brand to. But at this moment, this is where we’re at. We are very excited about the 21 that are here and building off of what we’re already doing.”