The Early Years
In early 1950s, Harmon Dobson and Paul Burton were looking around the city to open a hamburger joint. It was, according to Greg Wooldridge's 'Whataburger: A Tale of a Texas Icon', Mr. Dobson's goal 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!'" . This resulted in the creation of the Whataburger trademark in mid- 1950. Their first restaurant was opened later that year on Ayers Street across Del Mar College.
In 1951, Mr.Burton and Mr.Dobson apparently ended their partnership after some arguments the pricings of the iconic Whataburger. Tis lead to the split in the ownership between both parties with Burton owning the Whataburger franchises in San Antonio Area and Mr. Dobson in the Corpus Christi Area.
Within months, the company grew as locations began to open in areas like Kingsville, TX, which became the 1st store to open outside of Corpus Christ in 1952. Later in 1953, an appointed, Joe Andrews became the first non-founder franchise owner of a Whataburger restaurant in Alice, Texas. By 1959, the Whataburger company began to expand, eventually resulting in landing a restaurant outside Texas in Pensacola, Florida.
In 1951, Mr.Burton and Mr.Dobson apparently ended their partnership after some arguments the pricings of the iconic Whataburger. Tis lead to the split in the ownership between both parties with Burton owning the Whataburger franchises in San Antonio Area and Mr. Dobson in the Corpus Christi Area.
Within months, the company grew as locations began to open in areas like Kingsville, TX, which became the 1st store to open outside of Corpus Christ in 1952. Later in 1953, an appointed, Joe Andrews became the first non-founder franchise owner of a Whataburger restaurant in Alice, Texas. By 1959, the Whataburger company began to expand, eventually resulting in landing a restaurant outside Texas in Pensacola, Florida.