Whataburger History from the first location to now

On August, 8, 1950, the first Whataburger location opened up in Corpus Christi Texas at 2609 Ayer's Street Across Del-Mar College by founder Harmon Dobson. It was the modest portable wooden building that operated strictly has a walk in Whataburger. During the great depression Dobson dropped out of college to help save the family farm he spent 2 decades bouncing between careers. in 1950 a failed oil venture left him broke in texas and he pivoted to burgers in June 1950 he got the trademark. 

He opened the first location on Ayers Street in Corpus Christi Texas where he made burgers that where quarter packed on a wide 5 inch bun. It cost 25c which was on the pricier end for burger companies during that time. Even though his first 3 days were slow and he took in a total of $191 then word started spreading about his burgers. On 4 he sold 551 of them more than $137.75 in a single afternoon.

Dobson got a co-founder a man name Paul Burton but the partnership didn't last long. in 1951 Burton walked over a 5c price increase that changed the rest of his life Burton settled for Keeping the San Antonio location while Dobson took the rest of the company. Dobson raised the price to 35c from there a second location outside of corpus christi opened in Kingsville in 1952, then a 3rd in Alice 1953, a man name Joe Andre sr. became the first non founding franchise owner.

By 1959 the chain cross state lines for the first time with a location opening in Pensacola Florida. in 1961 Dobson designed the first orange and white line whataburger in Odessa Texas known has the A frame. By 1965  in the Coastal bend whataburger was selling 15,000 burger's a day. by 1967 they already had 40 locations in 4 states Then on April 11th 1967 a airplane crashed with Dobson and a associate on board they both died on impact. it was a 100 feet crash Then Grace Dobson known to the company and to history has been with Harmen Dobson since their first date at whataburger ever in 1955 and she had 3 children and fast growing burger chain. 

She spent the next 4 decades to carry the company her husband built before she passed away in 2005. the one who runs whataburger today is Debbie Stroud then the menu grew. Texans never stopped loving whataburger no matter what catastrophe goes on its the place we all know is open 24 hours by drive through. They have their own branded products in 2019 six couples got married at whataburger location's 6 whataweddings. there's whataburger theme wedding cakes prom photo's and baby showers even the whatastore we all know then in 2019 whataburger was sold in to The Yanks.