Whataburger
"Just like you like it."
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| Privately held | |
| Founded | August 8, 1950 Corpus Christi, Texas, U.S. |
| Founder | Harmon Dobson, Paul Burton |
| Headquarters | San Antonio, Texas, U.S. |
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Number of locations
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805 as of October 2016[update] |
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Area served
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Southern United States |
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Key people
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| Products | Fast food Hamburgers • Chicken sandwiches • Fish sandwiches • French fries • Milkshakes |
| Owner | Family owned by Tom, Lynne and Hugh Dobson, and 25 franchisers |
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Number of employees
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22,500 as of September 2012[update] |
| Website | whataburger |
Whataburger is an American privately held regional fast food restaurant chain, based in San Antonio, Texas, that specializes in hamburgers. The company, founded by Harmon Dobson and Paul Burton, opened its first restaurant in Corpus Christi, Texas, in 1950. The chain is owned and operated by the Dobson family, along with 25 franchisers. As of September 2012[update], there are over 735 Whataburger stores across the Southern United States region.
Whataburger was known for many years for its distinct A-framed orange-and-white stripe-roofed buildings. The first A-frame restaurant was built in Odessa, Texas, and is now a historical landmark.
The company's core products includes the "Whataburger", the "Whataburger Jr.", the "Justaburger", the "Whatacatch" (fish sandwich), and the "Whatachick'n". The company also has a breakfast menu.
In 1950, Harmon Dobson and Paul Burton were looking to open a hamburger restaurant. 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!'" In June 1950, Dobson was granted the Whataburger trademark. In August of that year they opened their first location on Ayers Street in Corpus Christi, Texas, across from Del Mar College. The store sold burgers for 25 cents, and also sold drinks and chips.
In 1951, Burton and Dobson ended their partnership after arguments concerning Dobson's price raise of the burger from 25 to 30 cents. Burton settled with owning the Whataburger franchises in San Antonio, Texas. Months later, prices for burgers were raised to 35 cents. In 1952, Dobson opened a location in Kingsville, Texas, the first store outside of Corpus Christi. In 1953, Joe Andrews, Sr. became the first non-founder franchise owner with a location in Alice, Texas. In 1959, the first Whataburger restaurant outside Texas opened in Pensacola, Florida.
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Wikipedia