Whataburger
Type	Privately held
Founded	Corpus Christi, Texas, 1950 (1950)
Founder(s)	Harmon Dobson, Paul Burton
Headquarters	San Antonio, Texas, United States
Number of locations	735 as of September 2012
Area served	Southern United States
Key people	· Tom Dobson (Chairman of the Board) · Preston Atkinson (President & CEO) · Clifton Rutledge (COO) · Buddy Reno (Chief of Staff, Whatabrands) · Ed Nelson (CFO)
Products	Whataburger, Whatacatch, Whatachick'n
Owner(s)	Family owned by Tom, Lynne and Hugh Dobson, and 25 franchisers
Employees	22,500 as of September 2012
Website	whataburger.com

 Whataburger is a privately held, American regional fast food restaurant chain 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 twenty-five franchisers. As of September 2012, 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. Over a dozen of the A-frame stores are still in operation.

The company's menu includes the "Whataburger", the "Whataburger Jr." (a smaller version of the Whataburger), the "Justaburger" (a Whataburger Jr. with only mustard, pickles, and onions), the "Whatacatch" (fish sandwich), and the "Whatachick'n" (chicken). Other food items, such as taquitos and salads, are availableand breakfast items are typically offered between 11 p.m. and 11 a.m.

History
Early years

A Whataburger restaurant

In 1950, entrepreneur Harmon Dobson worked with Paul Burton to found a hamburger company. 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. He received his 5-inch buns from the Rainbo bakery run by G.M. Atkinson where they hand made a set of pans for the buns. On August 8, they opened Whataburger #1 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 "Whataburger #4" in Kingsville, Texas, the first store outside of San Antonio. In 1953, Joe Andrews, Sr. became the first non-founder franchise owner with "Whataburger #5" in Alice, Texas. In 1959, "Whataburger #21", in Pensacola, Florida, became the first Whataburger restaurant outside Texas.

1960s and 70s
By 1960, there were over 17 Whataburger stores spread across Texas, Florida, and Tennessee. Inspired by his love for flying, Dobson designed the orange and white striped A-frame store, which he later opened as "Whataburger #24", in Odessa, Texas, in 1961.

In 1962, the company added French fries and hot pies to the menu. In 1963, it expanded to Arizona and totaled 26 stores. In 1965, it estimated selling 15,000 burgers daily in the Texas Coastal Bend area. In 1967, Dobson commissioned the "Flying W" company logo, and the company had expanded to "40 restaurants in four states."

On April 11, 1967, Dobson and an associate died in an airplane crash. Dobson's widow, Grace, took control of the business. In 1969, Grace became chairman of the board.

In 1971, the company opened its first drive-through store, and in 1972, it opened its 100th store. In 1974, the A-frame design was changed to a "Modern A-Frame" to accommodate drive-throughs and larger dining rooms. The company ranked in the top 25 fast-food restaurants.

1980s and 90s
In 1980, the company opened its 300th store. In 1982, three Corpus Christi stores began 24/7 service. In 1983, the company added Breakfast on a Bun, the Whatachick'n sandwich and breakfast taquitos to its menu. In 1987, it opened its 400th store, and also shut down operations in California.

The Whataburger in Frisco, Texas opened in 2008. This store is on Preston Rd. just north of Lebanon Rd.

In 1993, Harmon and Grace Dobson's son, Tom, became the CEO and President. The menu expanded, offering Whatameal packages, cookies and biscuits, and chicken strips. The company celebrated its 500th store opening in 1995, and was noted as the country's eighth-largest hamburger chain.

On May 6, 1999, the company opened "Whataburger by the Bay" on Shoreline Drive in Corpus Christi. It is the largest Whataburger store at 6,000 square feet (560 m2). The site includes a life-size bronze statue of Harmon Dobson.
 
2000-present
On August 8, 2000, Whataburger celebrated its 50th anniversary with 575 operating stores. In 2003, it hired Austin-based advertising firm McGarrah Jessee, which created an advertising campaign featuring the gravelly voice of Ohio actor William Bassett. In 2007, the company achieved 700 stores in ten states with annual revenue of $1 billion.

In 2008, the company considered moving inland in anticipation of Hurricane Ike hitting the coast. It set up a crisis management team in Uptown San Antonio, and later moved its headquarters there in 2009.

In October 2011, the company changed its television ads from Bassett's voiceovers to "documentary-style ads employees and customers using their own words to describe what makes Whataburger special." By the end of the year, it had 728 stores operating in ten states. The Dobson family owns 611 stores, and the other "117 are owned and operated by about 25 franchisers."