An iconic Texas hamburger eatery is spreading out in north Alabama as part of a recent expansion push, largely into the Southeast.

Whataburger, which opened a restaurant May 10 on Beltline Road in Decatur, broke ground on construction of a store in South Huntsville about a week later and plans to start building in Madison this summer.

Whataburger will be bringing its new design to Huntsville and Madison.

The Huntsville site is at 11701 South Memorial Parkway across the parkway from Walmart and will operate 24 hours a day.

“The Tennessee Valley area is the right location for Whataburger,’’ said Claire Aiello, the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber of Commerce vice president of marketing and communications. “We here in Huntsville could not be more pleased about the company’s arrival.

“The economic impact of bringing more than 100 jobs to our city will be substantial for our community members and provide further opportunities for success.’’

The South Huntsville restaurant is scheduled to open in the fall.

“I have to extend an especially big thanks to the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber of Commerce for welcoming Whataburger into the community with open arms and celebrating with us (at the groundbreaking),’’ said Jeff Simpson, the regional director of operations for Whataburger. “Whataburger is proud to serve Alabama and grow across the state with a total of 19 restaurants and counting.’’

Whataburger was founded as one restaurant in 1950 in Corpus Christi, Texas, with the emphasis on big burgers. The company is now headquartered in San Antonio with more than 850 locations in 14 states While its burgers (reportedly available in 36,864 customized ways) and fries (with spicy ketchup) are still favorites, the menu has grown.

In a break from the past, Whataburger has opened to franchising with Caleb Easton holding the position as operating partner in Huntsville. In another departure, while keeping the signature orange and white colors and recognizable Flying W, new and, eventually, old stores will get updated looks outside and in with varying options.

Apparently, Whataburger and Marvel Comics’ Wonder Woman fans argue over which came first as far as the W. The rockers Weezer came way late with a similar logo, but who cares? The band is cool.

Meanwhile, hiring for managers at the Huntsville restaurant is ongoing. Hiring for team leaders and members will begin in September, but anyone interested can apply now at whataburger.com/careers.

“What we found in South Huntsville is the combination of the military facility, the fact that there are neighborhoods growing out here, this corridor is a strong travel corridor,’’ Simpson said. “Those all fit with who we are, we saw this as a perfect site for us for our first Huntsville location.”