[8], Whataburger was known for many years for its distinct A-framed orange-and-white-stripe-roofed buildings. [25] On Friday November 21, 2008, the company announced it was permanently moving the headquarters to San Antonio, and that the current Corpus Christi office would remain open indefinitely to help ease the transition. On August 8, 2000, Whataburger celebrated its 50th anniversary with 575 operating stores. S tep back in time when burgers were a quarter and the only Whataburger location was in Corpus Christi, Texas. Standing on South Staples St, a replica of the first Whataburger burger stand invites guests to take a look at where the burger chain got its start. after the first taste. [24], After Hurricane Ike hit the Texas Coast in 2008, the company began considering moving its headquarters from Corpus Christi. Chain hires Morgan Stanley to explore sale", "Whataburger sells majority ownership stake to Chicago company", "Whataburger's Hickory Smoked Bacon now sold at H-E-B stores", "Whataburger buys San Antonio office building for new headquarters", "Whataburger to move headquarters to San Antonio", "What-a-Burger of Virginia v. Whataburger Inc", "Sports complex secures Whataburger as sponsor", "David Starr Partners with Whataburger at Texas Motor Speedway", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Whataburger&oldid=989970471, Economy of the Southeastern United States, Regional restaurant chains in the United States, Articles containing potentially dated statements from April 2018, All articles containing potentially dated statements, Articles containing potentially dated statements from June 2019, Articles with unsourced statements from September 2012, Articles containing potentially dated statements from March 2009, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Leonard Mazzocco (Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer), Rob Rodriguez (Senior Vice President and Chief Restaurant Operating Officer), James Turcotte (Chief Development Officer), Family owned by Tom, Lynne and Hugh Dobson, This page was last edited on 22 November 2020, at 01:40. In 1950, Harmon Dobson and Paul Burton were looking to open a hamburger restaurant. In this early 1950s view of Whataburger restaurant Number 2, customers lean against a bar, known as the "cattle rail" by some old-timers. Whataburger has sponsored a variety of music festivals. In 1969, Grace became chairman of the board.[1]. We finally know where the two first Whataburger locations in Kansas City will be located.Whataburger has two job listings on its website for general manager positions in … In 2004, local baseball fans celebrated the opening of Whataburger Field, home to the Corpus Christi Hooks. By 1960, there were over 17 Whataburger locations in Texas, Florida, and Tennessee. The first location of what would become the Lone Star State burger mecca was a portable building at 2609 Ayers Street, across from Del Mar College in Corpus Christi, according to the Texas State Historical Association. 1960s: From 1961 to 1976, Whataburger built approximately 80 of theses distinct A-frame stores. Circa 1960s, this restaurant is #26 in Welasco, Texas. A Whataburger facility, complete with familiar a-frame design and the company logo, appeared routinely in the popular animated TV series King of the Hill. [1] In 1952, Dobson opened a location in Kingsville, Texas, the first store outside of Corpus Christi. 1979 was the year Whataburger introduced a breakfast menu, and by 1982 they were operating 24 hours a day. [26] The company chose to permanently relocate to San Antonio because of a larger talent pool for potential employees, increased protection from hurricanes, and office space that is considered to be cost-efficient. A few months later in May, he financed a man named Paul Burton for a "small, specialized" Texas hamburger spot. Tesoro, which leased space in the development, was moving to another facility at the time Whataburger bought the building. Whataburger is reportedly planning to expand to Tennessee. In 1953, Joe Andrews, Sr. became the first non-founder franchise owner with a location in Alice, Texas. [1][12] In 1982, three Corpus Christi stores began 24/7 service. By June 23, 1950, "Whataburger" became a registered trademark. Browse all locations to find your local Whataburger - home of the bigger, better burger. Joe Andrews Sr. opened the first franchised unit in Alice, Texas. Now I'm a... CDC NIOSH-approved N95 masks are $13 per 2-pack, How to Watch 'The Mandalorian' for free on Disney+. "Lady Grace" threw a perfect strike at the groundbreaking ceremony. [22] The company planned to move 250 jobs in the corporate sector to San Antonio,[22] with over 60% of the employees coming from Corpus Christi and the remainder hired locally. Adding to the hometown appeal is the restaurant's witty social media presence, especially on Twitter where more than 706,000 followers have made it one of the most popular accounts in Texas. The first Virginia store opened in 1957 by entrepreneur Jack Branch near Newport News, Virginia.Branch's first location predated the first Texas Whataburger restaurant slightly. [18], On June 14, 2019, the Dobson family sold its majority stake in the company to BDT Capital, a Chicago-based investment company. The first Whataburger was served 66 years ago today in South Texas, Nicole Truly, McGarrah Jessee/Courtesy photo, Edward A. Ornelas/San Antonio Express-News, 40K rainbow trout coming to S.A. and New Braunfels fishing spots, S.A. Dobson's goal was to "make a better burger that took two hands to hold and tasted so good that when you took a bite you would say 'What a burger!'" Actor William H. Bassett provided the voiceover for Whataburger commercials for nine years in the early 2000s. Jerry Larson, Tribune-Herald The Dobson family owned 611 stores, and the other "117 are owned and operated by about 25 franchisees. The word was out. I rode this Peloton competitor for 21 days. Standing on South Staples St, a replica of the first Whataburger burger stand invites guests to take a look at where the burger chain got its start. By 1967 there were Whataburger restaurants in Texas, Florida, Tennessee and Arizona (pictured here). While it is the flagship store, it did not open until 1999. Due to the success of selling Whataburger sauces at H-E-B since 2014, the company announced it will offer 1-pound packages of bacon at H-E-B and Central Market stores. [6], There are more than 670 stores in Texas and over 150 in New Mexico, Arizona and the southern United States,[7] of which 126 are franchised. The Whataburger Jr. didn't arrive until 1973. In August of that year they opened their first location on Ayers Street in Corpus Christi, Texas, across from Del Mar College. In 1959, the first Whataburger restaurant outside Texas opened in Pensacola, Florida. [15], In 2003, it hired Austin-based advertising firm McGarrah Jessee,[16] which created an advertising campaign featuring the gravelly voice of Ohio actor William Bassett. For having the first all electric restaurant, Harmon received an award from the Central Power and Light at Whataburger restaurant #2. The company, founded by Harmon Dobson and Paul Burton, opened its first restaurant in Corpus Christi, Texas, in 1950. In 2001, during the 77th Texas Legislative Session, a bill was passed proclaiming Whataburger to be a Texas Treasure. Harmon Dobson was a devoted diarist for much if his life. [27], Whataburger is sometimes confused with the What-A-Burger (hyphenated) chain of family-operated restaurants in Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. [13], In 1993, Harmon and Grace Dobson's son, Tom, became the CEO and President. [14] The site includes a life-size bronze statue of Harmon Dobson.[1][12]. The Whataburger that opened this past week near Loop 340 and I-35 in Bellmead is the company’s first using a new building design.
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