Patrick Mahomes-backed Whataburger restaurant makes debut in Kansas City area

KANSAS CITY, Missouri (KTRK) -- Whataburger and Texas go hand in hand, but now people in the Kansas City, Missouri area are getting their share of the orange and white, all thanks to Chiefs quarterback and Texas native Patrick Mahomes.

The area's first Whataburger restaurant opened Monday morning, and the lines were so long, the department of transportation had to warn drivers about it.

"Whata-line for the new @Whataburger," the tweet said in part. "Plz pay attention & be courteous while waiting."

The actual location is in Lee's Summit, Missouri, about 25 minutes away from Kansas City, but that didn't stop people from arriving as soon as they could to place an order.

One person originally from Texas told the ABC affiliate in Kansas City that he started out at 4 a.m. to try to camp out. The restaurant didn't open for another seven hours.

Mahomes' teammate and native Houstonian Josh Gordon was also excited, writing on Twitter in response to the Whataburger opening, "Kansas City out here living right."

He soon learned less than an hour after his initial tweet, that he was not immune to the long line woes.

"So much for that (angry emoji) That line was not tryna come off any type of burgers for me today," Gordon wrote.

The beloved Texas chain's arrival comes thanks to Mahomes' fast-food cravings, and let's be real here, his cash.

In 2018, Mahomes expressed that he wanted a Whataburger restaurant in Kansas City.

Mahomes is a proud Texan, claiming Whitehouse - a Tyler suburb - as his hometown. He is also a Texas Tech alum.

And ever since the Chiefs acquired his accurate throwing arm, he has pleaded with Whataburger to bring their menu to his adopted hometown.

Now just three years later, those dreams are coming true after Mahomes bought into a deal to bring as many as 30 franchises to Kansas and Missouri, a market that the restaurant had yet to tap until now.

RELATED: WHAT-A-SALE: Texas chain Whataburger sold to bank

Back in August, Whataburger announced Mahomes is the lead investor of a new franchisee, KMO Burger, that plans to open Whataburger locations from Wichita, Kansas, to St. Joseph, Missouri, over the next seven years.

"I love Kansas City and I love Whataburger," Mahomes said in a statement at the time. "I'm excited to help bring a gift from my first home to my second home."

While Whataburger is as Texan as Willie Nelson drinking Dr Pepper at a Buc-ee's, it's not uncommon to see the familiar orange and white "W" outside of the Lone Star State. Whataburger is located as far west as Arizona and as far east as Florida and Georgia.

You can find more on the Whataburger franchises set to open under Mahomes' group here.

SEE ALSO: Super Bowl MVP Pat Mahomes agrees to richest contract in pro sports history in $503 million deal