Whataburger Proposes Castle Rock Location, Its First Denver Metro Return in 40 Years

Forty-plus years after the last Denver-area Whataburger closed, the Texas chain is aiming for Castle Rock. BurgerWorks Colorado, LLC — the franchise group behind all of Whataburger's current Colorado operations — submitted a land use application in November 2025 to build a new location in the Promenade at Castle Rock development, and the Town of Castle Rock is still reviewing it.

The proposed site sits northeast of the intersection of Alpine Vista Circle and Promenade Parkway, near Sam's Club and the Outlets at Castle Rock, just off I-25. Plans call for a 3,380-square-foot building with a drive-thru and a full parking lot. If approved, the restaurant would operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. No construction timeline has been set.

The chain's Colorado history stretches back to the 1970s, when it operated locations statewide under a subsidiary called Whataburger of Colorado Inc. Those locations closed by the early 1980s, but two never quite went away — they just changed names. The Thornton location at 595 East 88th Avenue became Jim's Burger Haven under Jim and Arlene Moser; the Denver outpost at 23 South Federal Boulevard had converted to Grandpa's Burger Haven by 1980. Both still operate today, their menus and aesthetics echoing their Whataburger origins.

Whataburger's modern Colorado comeback began on February 23, 2022, when BurgerWorks Colorado opened at 1310 Interquest Parkway in Colorado Springs, followed quickly by a second location at 6140 Dublin Boulevard. The franchise then pushed north: a Monument restaurant at 17889 Fat Tire Drive became Whataburger's first Colorado location outside Colorado Springs when it opened in 2024. Castle Rock is the next step in that steady march up I-25 toward Denver.

BurgerWorks Colorado is owned by William Tamminga, who has driven every phase of the chain's Colorado build-out. "We are thrilled to continue to bring Whataburger's signature customized burgers and extensive menu of fresh, bold flavors with a side of extraordinary hospitality and meaningful community engagement," Tamminga has said. "We look forward to growing and serving this thriving area for many years to come."

Castle Rock represents a well-targeted landing zone. The city's estimated 2026 population stands at approximately 87,875, up nearly 19% from the 73,888 residents counted in the 2020 Census, growing at roughly 2.72% annually. It is Douglas County's largest municipality, accounting for 21% of the county's population, with a median household income of $145,197. Douglas County ranked third in Colorado for population growth pace in 2024 and second statewide in total residents added.

Whataburger itself has grown considerably since Harmon Dobson founded it as a burger stand in Corpus Christi, Texas in 1950. The chain now operates more than 900 locations across 14 states under the management of private equity firm BDT & MSD Partners, which took over in 2019 with the Dobson family retaining a minority stake. Whether Castle Rock becomes location 901 depends on what Town of Castle Rock reviewers decide next.