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With Twisted Root Burger Co., In-N-Out Burger and Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers moving into the neighborhood, the Whataburger at 928 S. Seventh St. may have been feeling the heat. Whatever the reason, the Corpus Christi-based chain has taken out a building permit to level that restaurant and erect one of its newer models at a cost of $1.25 million, city of Waco and Whataburger officials said Tuesday.

The Whataburger closed Sunday, and the new restaurant reportedly will open in three to four months.

Most employees reportedly have been reassigned to other locations while demolition and construction take place.

City inspection supervisor Bobby Horner said Whataburger has secured a demolition permit and submitted site plans.

Once the existing building has fallen, Whataburger will make use of that space and a vacant lot behind the structure to create a 3,914-square-foot restaurant with a larger dining area and more parking space and traffic maneuverability for customers.

Whataburger finds itself in the midst of a restaurant explosion, with the arrival in recent years of a Chick-fil-A and a Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers both a short walk from the front door of the orange-and-white Whataburger establishment.