Whataburger hit the nail on our beverage-obsessed heads with its most recent product announcement: "Whataburger’s New Hot and Iced Coffees Are Here to Fuel Your Caffeine Obsessions."
The Texas-based burger chain has introduced new hot and iced coffee, available 24/7 with vanilla, caramel and mocha flavors.
Americans are, in fact, obsessed with drinks, drinking, spending money on drinks and sitting in lines for drinks. When did you last get stuck in a drive-thru for half an hour to spend $12 on two drinks? What's wrong with us (and by us, I mean me)? Tap water is free and literally the best thing you can drink.
Anyhoosie. Coffee in America is a booming business. In 2022 the coffee shop industry was valued at $45.8 billion, according to Statista. And QSR, which tracks quick-service restaurant trends, reports that three of the top 10 fastest-growing chains are coffee chains.
Of course, Whataburger wants a sip of that. "Your favorite burger spot now doubles as your go-to coffee shop!" reads the announcement on the company website.
Whataburger drive-thrus are sort of notoriously slow, so it'll be interesting to see if they can get an iced coffee out the window before it's in a pool of condensation, but we're cheering for this effort.
Whataburger's senior vice president and chief marketing officer Scott Hudler said his team spent significant time researching and testing new recipes, resulting in a premium and proprietary blend. The new coffee beans are 100% Arabica and a blend of beans from Colombia, Honduras and Nicaragua offering a balance of "nutty, smoky and toasted flavor notes and a vibrant finish," according to Whataburger.
Whataburger is already stocked with these new offerings. The new hot and cold coffee options are available all day. A regular, 20-ounce iced coffee costs $2.89.