page_title: Whataburger
section_title: 1980s and 1990s
hierarchical_section_title: Whataburger / History / 1980s and 1990s
caption_attribution_description: English: Whataburger in Frisco, TX
context_page_description: Whataburger is an American privately held, regional fast food restaurant chain, headquartered and 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. Family-owned by the Dobsons until 2019, the chain is now managed by a venture capital company along with the Dobson family still holding a small stake.
  There are more than 670 stores in Texas and over 150 in New Mexico, Arizona and the southern United States, of which 126 are franchised.
  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 site is scheduled to be demolished in 2019 and transformed into a "more modern" building.
  The company's core products includes the "Whataburger", the "Whataburger Jr.", the "Justaburger", the "Whatacatch", and the "Whatachick'n". The company also has a breakfast menu.
context_section_description: 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.
  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.
  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.
caption: This Whataburger in Frisco, Texas, opened in 2008
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