There’s been considerable chatter recently about the new restaurant moving into the long-vacant O’Charley’s location in front of Target.

The answer to that question is easy: What-a-burger. Well…maybe not that easy.

If you’ve lived in Mooresville for any length of time, you’re likely familiar with What-A-Burger on Main Street, a staple in the community for many decades. Rest assured, it will remain a staple, as the What-a-burger soon to occupy 604 River Highway is the Texas-based national chain, not the local Mooresville restaurant. While looking into this, I was surprised to learn that there are actually three What-A-Burger chains—none of which are related. In fact, none of them knew the others existed for decades.

The local What-A-Burger began in 1956 when E.L. Bost and C.W. Bost (no relation) established What-A-Burger in towns like Kannapolis, Concord, and Mooresville. Known for its retro drive-in experience, complete with carhops and call boxes, it has been a beloved local institution. If you’ve never been, you should give it a try and see if you’re brave enough to order their “Witch Doctor” drink—a mix of multiple sodas with pickle juice, garnished with pickle slices and a lemon wedge. It’s actually pretty good, but you can feel the diabetes setting in as you drink it.

The Virginia-based chain began in 1950 near Newport News, Virginia, eventually spreading to other parts of Virginia and South Carolina.

What I’ll call the original What-a-burger opened in 1950 near Corpus Christi, Texas. Their original goal was to create a burger so big that it took two hands to hold it, prompting patrons to say “What-a-Burger.” Over the decades, this chain has spread to over 800 locations. In the 1970s, the Texas and Virginia-based companies became aware of each other’s existence and sued over the use of the name. The judge ruled that they were far enough away from each other that it was irrelevant, and they each went their separate ways. With the Texas-based chain expanding rapidly into the East Coast, it sounds like the battle over the name could resurface.

Regardless of which What-A-Burger it is, I’m just glad to see something coming back into the location. We have too many empty buildings fronting River Highway, and I fear that most will remain that way until the widening project comes to an end.