A Whataburger is quietly in the works for Victory Village, the sprawling Target-anchored shopping center taking shape along Augusta Highway in Lexington. Lexington County property records show that WB Real Estate LLC, the real estate arm of the Texas-based burger chain, purchased an outparcel at the development in late August, adding another recognizable name to a corridor already filling up with national brands.
Whataburger is slated to be part of the in-development Victory Village shopping center, according to The State, which reported that a listing from NAI Columbia shows the chain among the businesses planned as outparcels at the center. The shopping center sits at 2550 Augusta Highway in Lexington, near Lexington High School, and is planned to be anchored by Target. Construction on that Target and an Academy Sports + Outdoors store, the project's two key anchors, was described as well underway when the reporter visited the site earlier in the week.
A Corridor Transformed Since Its 2025 Announcement
Victory Village was initially announced for Augusta Highway, just west of Lexington High School, in 2025. Dallas-based 413 Solutions is developing the project, and the company lists former NFL running back Emmitt Smith as its chairman, per an earlier report from The State. That same report described Victory Village as expected to total more than 230,000 square feet of retail space, though a February 2025 post from 413 Solutions itself had put the figure at just over 206,000 square feet — a discrepancy that remains unexplained in the available records.
Beyond Whataburger, the development's food lineup is taking shape with several other national chains. Chipotle Mexican Grill and Dave's Hot Chicken are each planned for the shopping center, with site plans placing them at the southeast corner near Augusta Highway. Public records and real estate listings also indicate a Dutch Bros Coffee will be an outparcel at the development, the news organization reported. A Parker's Kitchen location is additionally planned nearby at 2509 Augusta Highway, next to a Sonic Drive-In, according to the earlier State report.
Construction Timeline And Growth Driving The Project
Construction on the 27-acre shopping center began in October 2025 and may be completed by fall 2026, according to the Lexington County Chronicle. The development is also pre-leasing retail spaces as construction continues, the Post and Courier reported. A strip mall of nine small retail spaces at 1,730 square feet each is planned between the Target and Academy stores, while the Dave's Hot Chicken and Chipotle spaces, each around 2,500 square feet, sit in two connected buildings closer to the roadway, according to the Post and Courier. One of four larger outparcels next to those two restaurants remains for sale at 0.65 acres, with an available retail lease rate set at $43 per square foot.
The pace of development tracks with rapid growth in the area. Lexington County's population has increased 8.1 percent since 2020, with nearly 23,700 more people moving to the county since then, the newspaper's reporting shows. Augusta Highway near the site already sees traffic from around 17,000 cars per day. A 413 Solutions post on the project noted that reaction within the adjacent Oak Pointe neighborhood has been mixed, with some residents welcoming a nearby Target while others raised concerns about traffic and crime.
Whataburger's Existing Footprint In The Midlands
If the Victory Village location moves forward, it would add to Whataburger's growing presence in the Midlands. The chain already operates locations on Devine Street in Columbia, in Irmo, on Bridgeberry Lane in northeast Columbia, on South Lake Drive in Lexington, and on Platt Springs Road near Red Bank, with additional locations across the United States and South Carolina.
No primary confirmation from Whataburger or Lexington County has surfaced detailing a signed lease, permits or an opening date for the Victory Village outparcel, and it remains unclear whether the burger chain, Target, Academy Sports + Outdoors, Chipotle, Dave's Hot Chicken and Dutch Bros Coffee will open on the same schedule. For now, the property records and listings offer the clearest signal yet that Lexington's fast-growing Augusta Highway corridor is about to get another familiar name.
