On Dec. 15, 2025, the downtown Auburn Whataburger location ceased operations. The fast-food restaurant had occupied the intersection of North College Street and West Magnolia Avenue since its opening in late 2021.
Before Whataburger left downtown Auburn, bright orange flyers announcing the closure were distributed to customers, acknowledging the restaurant’s departure from the downtown area.
The restaurant initially opened as a 24-hour franchise of the popular fast-food chain. Over time, however, its hours were reduced to 7 a.m. to 2 a.m. on weekdays.
While its late-night service attracted Auburn students during the downtown weekend scene, the restaurant struggled to draw customers outside of those hours. A company spokesperson stated that weekday and daytime traffic remained low, contributing to declining demand.
The Auburn location is one of two venues in Alabama to close, as the Whataburger in Tuscaloosa also closed on Dec. 15, 2025. Company representatives cited broader initiatives aimed at maximizing operational quality as the reason for the closures.
Some Auburn community members speculated on social media that limited downtown parking may have played a role in the restaurant’s struggles. Several Facebook users suggested that inaccessibility by car made the location inconvenient for customers outside of peak weekend hours.
The retail space at 101 N. College St. has hosted a rotating cast of franchises and restaurants over the years, each reflecting the evolving demands of Auburn’s growing college community. From the early to mid-1990s, the building was home to The Coffee Banque, a notable café that served Auburn during the town’s pre-coffee chain era.
The 2000s brought a boom in downtown nightlife, ushering in a period of turnover, as bar and entertainment venues became more prominent. During this evolution, the space became a valued “watering hole” within the downtown Auburn scene for nearly 18 years. Originally operating as the bar Bodega when it opened in 1997, the establishment later transitioned into The Bank Vault, which opened in 2005.
However, the final drink of The Bank Vault was served in the late-night, early-morning hours of May 31, 2015 – marking a sentimental farewell to the bar. Auburn students reflected on their affection for the picturesque hole-in-the-wall that offered a much-needed refuge from the bustle of its nightlife neighbors, such as SkyBar and Southeastern.
Most recently, the location was home to a Pieology Pizzeria, which remained open from 2015 to 2020. The restaurant entered its tenancy with high expectations from community members, accompanied by a statement from the Pieology chain that the Auburn location would be its largest restaurant.
The eventual closure in 2020 was a result of the wider, 17-unit shutdown by its parent company The Little Brown Box Pizza LLC as a result of the chain facing significant financial issues.
The frequent turnover at 101 N. College St. has led some to question whether the space’s location is a limiting factor. Contributing issues include high rent and limited parking, which have often caused restaurants in the space to underperform.
While there has been speculation about what may occupy the space next, no confirmed plans have been announced.
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