Whataburger has announced that effective January 1, 2012, current President and Chief Operating Officer Preston Atkinson will assume the responsibilities of Chief Executive Officer. Tom Dobson will continue his role as Chairman of the Board of Directors.

“For years, Preston has been a trusted partner and friend in my journey as a leader in this company,” said Chairman and CEO, Tom Dobson. “His guidance has helped Whataburger grow into a strong, stable and successful burger brand. I am fully confident in Preston’s leadership and his ability to carry on the Whataburger legacy, leading our talented team of dedicated individuals to ensure that we are positioned for long term growth and success. ”

“I am so proud and honored to assume this new role at Whataburger. Tom has always been a great mentor and friend, and we share the same leadership principles, believing that teamwork and respect for one another and our customers is paramount to the success of an organization,” said President and COO Preston Atkinson. “I am so grateful for this opportunity to continue working with the best team in the business. I look forward to staying on-strategy and on-plan to continue proudly serving our loyal customers fresh products, every day.”

Atkinson has been an integral part of Whataburger for more than 15 years. The relationship began in 1986, as Atkinson designed and built Whataburger restaurants, a role he continued through 1998. In November 1998, Atkinson officially joined the Whataburger family, holding the roles of Senior Vice President of Development, Chief Development Officer, and Executive Vice President and COO, before assuming his current position of President and COO in February 2007.

During Dobson and Atkinson’s tenure as a leadership team, Whataburger has expanded into new markets, grown sales, and transitioned its headquarters to San Antonio from Corpus Christi in July 2009. Now, with more than 720 locations across 10 states and sales of more than $1 billion annually, Whataburger is a leader in the quick service restaurant industry.

As Chairman, Dobson, who has served as CEO since 1993, will continue to stay involved in the business, along with his sister Lynne, and brother Hugh. Still a family-owned company after more than 60 years, Whataburger was founded by Harmon Dobson in 1950 as a small roadside hamburger stand in Corpus Christi. Today, the Whataburger spirit and unique culture of family unite more than 20,000 passionate employees who are the driving force behind the company that serves “What-a-burger!” every time.

Websites offering a one-day-only deep discount on local dining are actually helping restaurants attract new customers. Research by Technomic shows that a majority of diners who used discount sites returned later and paid full price. They also were likely to recommend the restaurant to family members or write a review on a social media website.

Whataburger has put together a beautiful and informative book detailing the history of the company just in time for Father’s Day. The Whataburger Story is a hardback photo book perfect for keeping on the coffee table. It features exclusive interviews, photographs and stories from the people who were most involved in the founding of the iconic hamburger chain.

The new Fastest Growing Restaurant Operators Report from Chain Store Guide has been released for 2011. This report focuses on the fastest growing larger chains that currently have at least 50 locations. Growth was measured over a three year span to prevent fast but unstable growth from skewing the results. Affordable luxury dining topped the list.

Domino’s, a pizza chain that managed to resurrect itself after a slow decline, hopes that by the fall of this year international store sales will be higher than U.S. based sales. The chain has almost the same amount of locations both inside and outside the country. However, some countries like China are still presenting difficulties for the brand.

Saladworks, America’s fastest growing fresh salad chain, announced the signing of a new agreement to develop three new locations in the Boston area. The new restaurants will open over the next three years. Tien Tien Lai will be the franchisee for all three. The Saladworks chain currently operates 100 locations with plans for many more to open over the next year.

Burger King and Pizza Hut may not directly compete in the same part of the restaurant industry, but they’ve committed to a new competition. The basketball finals have found Miami and Dallas facing off. BK is based in Miami, and Pizza Hut in Dallas. The CEO of the losing company will spend a day working at a restaurant from the opposing chain.

T.G.I.Friday’s wants you to visit and enjoy their new craft beer menu this summer. To encourage beer lovers the restaurant chain has created the Buy Your Friend a Beer application for Facebook. Users over 21 can buying up to 5 beers for any friend at $5 a piece, regardless of location. The coupons are delivered through Facebook to the recipient.

Baskin-Robbins may be well known for delicious ice cream in the United States, but they just opened their first Singapore location. This marks the 4,000^th location outside the country for the chain. Singapore is the 48^th country to host a Baskin-Robbins store. Executives from the country celebrated the milestone at the grand opening of the store.

A new pizza restaurant is coming to Rogers, Arkansas. Mellow Mushroom Pizza Bakers will be opening their newest location on June 13^th. The restaurant will be open 7 days a week and offers a beer list with 70 different options, including 30 beers on draft. Mellow Mushroom’s menu features a broad variety of pizzas, salads and sandwiches.

Benihana Inc. has released the fiscal reports for the last quarter of the 2011 fiscal year. The chain saw great improvement in comparable restaurant sales with a rise of 5.6%. Total revenue rose to $81.8 million for the entire fiscal year. Net income was slightly lower than last year, with $0.5 million during 2011 compared to $1.7 million last year.

Just in time for Father’s Day, family-owned and operated Whataburger today announced the debut of the company’s official history book; The Whataburger Story, How One Man’s Dream and One Woman’s Heart Inspired a Business to Become a Family. The hardback, coffee-table book is available for purchase on the company’s web site, www.whataburger.com.

The Whataburger Story, written by Whataburger historian Greg Wooldridge, weaves together the successful business history of the iconic burger brand, with the rich family history that made it all possible. Full of photos, letters, testimonials, and memories, the book showcases Whataburger’s unique tradition and culture in 160 colorful pages.

“The subtitle of this book says it all. Whataburger is about more than serving the freshest burgers. The common thread of family has always run through this company, starting with Harmon and continuing with Grace,” said Pam Cox, group director of corporate communications, Whataburger Restaurants L.P. “Today, that legacy is still being carried on by their children, Tom, Lynne and Hugh Dobson, and all of the employees that we call our family.”

Still family owned and operated after more than 60 years, Whataburger was founded by Harmon Dobson in 1950 as a small roadside hamburger stand in Corpus Christi, Texas. Harmon’s zeal for life and confident determination helped Whataburger grow in the early and mid 1960′s, when his untimely death in 1967 tragically cut his dream short. From that point forward his wife, Grace Dobson, dedicated herself to carrying on Harmon’s dream, ultimately passing that dream on to their three children.

Today, the Whataburger spirit and unique culture of family unite more than 20,000 passionate employees, endearingly called Family Members. This family forms the backbone and the driving force behind the company that serves “What-a-burger!” every time.

A limited supply of The Whataburger Story, How One Man’s Dream and One Woman’s Heart Inspired a Business to Become a Family is available for $39.99 at www.whataburger.com.

Individual concept restaurants may garner more attention and praise, but a restaurant franchise can bring in consistent profits. If you’re interesting in investing in the restaurant industry, opening a group of well-tested and proven franchise locations is a better idea that trying to develop your own award winning idea. It is also easier to raise capital for a tested brand than for an original idea.

Quiznos is adding a new Southern style sandwich to their menu to add a new twist on the fresh toasted sandwich line up. The Southern BBQ Pulled Pork features freshly cooked barbeque pork. Other new menu items include the Pork Cuban, the Farmers’ Market Salads line and Flatbread Wraps featuring whole grain breads.

Whataburger is adding two new menu items to celebrate summer, but they’ll only be available for a limited time. The Pineapple Pie and the Pineapple Shake were both added to the national menu on June 6^th. Both new items bring the sunny tropical citrus taste of pineapple to Whataburger’s classic hand-spin milkshakes and freshly cooked personal pies.

If you plan to travel with a loved one or your entire family this summer, make sure to plan at least one trip while on the road to the classic Cracker Barrel Old Country Store. Cracker Barrel is the perfect choice for eating home style food while on a road trip. To celebrate, many locations have added new attractions to their stores that will run until August 10^th.

Dickey’s Barbecue Pit is the latest chain to enforce a franchise wide price increase to all menu items. This increase was brought on by rising fuel costs and the increasing price of foods, especially pork and chicken. The chain doesn’t want to cut quality or service to save money, and they hope that customers will continue to choose their chain despite the 10% higher prices.

The Dickey’s Barbecue Pit chain is also expanding at a rapid pace with a new location in West Valley. This is the first location for the town, but it is the third Dickey’s for franchise owner John Thomson. This new restaurants contributes to the comfortable 35% growth rate the company has seen in the past two years.

California Pizza Kitchen has signed a new agreement that will allow the company to expand its international locations into Taiwan. The chain will work with the new partner Quanta Foods to build 6 restaurants over the five years in the Asian country. Over 30 locations are already in China, Guam and other countries, but the chain is always looking for new opportunities to grow.

Johnny Rockets is celebrating both the 25^th anniversary of the All-American Burger chain and the opening of their new store. The new location was built at the South Street Seaport landmark in New York City. A ribbon cutting ceremony and grand opening was held on June 6^th that included the introduction of a new milkshake flavor and alcoholic beverages.

Church’s Chicken has hired a new Global Chief Development Officer to help oversee the development of the brand. Pedro Voyer will be joining the company and will be responsible for both international and domestic marketing. Re-imaging and construction management are also part of his new duties. He left a position at Burger King to join Church’s.

Kona Grill recently appointed Micheal A. Nahkunst as the interim President and CEO. Marc A. Buehler, the former CEO and President, has left the company. The chain is currently searching for a new candidate to fill the position both internally and globally, but Nahkunst has the experience and skills needed to run the company until one is found.

Whataburger has announced two new additions to its menu, the Pineapple Pie and Pineapple Shake, both available for a limited time only. The new menu items will be available Monday, June 6 at 3 p.m. through Monday, August 22 at all Whataburger locations.

“While we are known best for our fresh, made-to-order burgers, our pies and shakes have made a name for themselves as well,” said Rich Scheffler, Whataburger Restaurants, LP Group Director of Marketing. “The newest pineapple pie and shake are the perfect tropical combination for summer.”

Whataburger has proudly served shakes since its first restaurant opened in 1950. The pineapple shake, introduced for the first time this summer, joins Whataburger’s traditional shake flavors of chocolate, vanilla and strawberry. All shakes are offered in three sizes; 16-ounce, 20-ounce and 32-ounce.

Pies made their debut on the Whataburger menu in the late 1950s. Pineapple, the newest flavor, joins the menu’s traditional hot apple pie, a Whataburger customer favorite.

In addition to delicious pies and shakes, other Whataburger dessert options include sugar and chocolate chunk cookies, cinnamon rolls and fruit chews. Dessert is served at Whataburger 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 364 days a year at all 724 locations.

Domino’s Pizza is expanding their carry out process as more customers choose this method for eating delicious pizza. To promote their new carry out options, they will hold a national promotion called the “Early Week Pick-Me-Up Deal”. Each week a new large, 3 topping pizza will be available for just $7.99 if ordered for carry out.

Whataburger has added a new chicken sandwich to their menu just in time for the beginning of summer. The new Honey Mustard Chicken Club features a grilled or fried crispy chicken patty topped with lettuce, tomato, bacon and honey mustard sauce. The grilled chicken, paired with a side salad and water, makes a healthy lunch or dinner time choice.

Aurelio’s Pizza opened its doors in 1959, and now they’re adding two new franchise locations. Marietta, Georgia will be the home of the first Aurelio’s location in Georgia. North Las Vegas, Nevada will be the third for the state, but the first in that particular part of the city. The chain currently has 44 locations in six states.

UFood Restaurant Group has signed a new franchise agreement with Manuel Rivera to open eight new UFood Grills in Puerto Rico. This new agreement will help the chain expand their health focused menu into the international market. The first Puerto Rican UFoods Grill will open in the fall of this year. Rivera first visited the chain when they were known as the Low Fat-No Fat chain in 2000.

To celebrate the heat and excitement of summer, Hurricane Grill & Wings has developed new flavors for its extensive menu. The Summer of Flavor limited time menu features wraps, salads, new wing sauces and a new dessert. Island and tropical flavors abound in dishes like Island Grilled Shrimp, Strawberry Fields Salad and the Coco Loco Wing Sauce.

Frisch’s Restaurants is naming a new Vice President. Mark Lanning will become the Vice President-Finance first, and after a few months of transitional training with the current Chief Financial Officer he will also take over that position. He brings over 30 years of experience in managing the finances of large corporations to the Frisch’s chain.

Palm Beach Gardens will soon be the home of the newest Grimaldi’s Pizzeria location. Famous for their New York style pizza, Grimaldi’s is proud to open their second location in Florida. The chain is frequented by celebrities who enjoy the taste of the pizzas cooked in real coal fired ovens. Only 20 locations are currently open, but the chain has plans to expand rapidly throughout this year and the next.

The Veggie Grill focuses on plant based comfort food that is satisfying and healthy. The Southern California chain opened a seventh location on May 23^rd in the center of Los Angeles. The menu uses no animal products, but keeps vegan and vegetarian fare fresh by combining veggie based meat substitutes with bold flavors.

Genghis Grill is America’s leading Mongolian stir fry restaurant chain, and they’ve opened a new location in Glendale, Arizona. The chain offers Glendale residents over 70 ingredients to combine to make their own unique meal, as well as 60 new jobs. Visitors choose their fresh ingredients and watch their food cooked on the Mongolian grill to their specifications.

Just in time for summer, Whataburger today announced the Honey Mustard Chicken Club, its newest menu item available for a limited time only. The new chicken sandwich – with a choice of grilled or crispy chicken — is available Monday, May 23 at 3 p.m. through Monday, June 27 at Whataburger’s 700-plus locations across 10 states.

The made-to-order Honey Mustard Chicken Club sandwich features a choice of Grilled Chicken or Whatachick’n filet, freshly chopped lettuce, tomato, bacon, Swiss American cheese and Honey Mustard sauce on a wheat bun. It is the newest addition to the many menu combinations available at Whataburger restaurants.

“One of the great things about Whataburger is that our menu offers our customers so many options,” said Rich Scheffler, Whataburger Restaurants, LP Group Director of Marketing. “While we are known for our fresh, made-to-order burgers, our Limited Time Offers, such as the new Honey Mustard Chicken Club, give our customers a chance to sample different combinations, appealing to a broad range of appetites.”

The Honey Mustard Chicken Club sandwich can be purchased alone or in a Whatameal with a drink and French fries. Customers looking for a lower calorie option can substitute a side salad instead of fries in their Whatameal.

Whataburger today announced the results of an online survey conducted in honor of National Hamburger Month. The Southern burger icon, with more than 700 locations in 10 states, asked its Facebook fans to name their favorite way to order a Whataburger.

The winning combination? According to the nearly 20,000 fans of Whataburger’s Facebook page who participated in the survey, a Whataburger burger is best when ordered with mustard, cheese, bacon and jalapenos, served on the chain’s unique Texas Toast.

When asked to name their favorite side item to go with their burger, an overwhelming 70.4 percent chose French fries over onion rings or a side salad – all of which are available as part of the chain’s popular Whatameal.

“Offering burgers served on our Texas Toast is something unique to Whataburger and very popular with our customers; so it isn’t surprising that this is a fan favorite,” said Pam Cox, Group Director of Communications, Whataburger Restaurants LP. “It is also interesting to note that our original Whataburger comes standard with mustard, so these results are a true reflection of our customers’ preferences.”

The classic Whataburger is 100% fresh American beef, mustard, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles and onions on a 5-inch bun. However, with all the different options available, there are nearly 40,000 different ways a customer can order a Whataburger. On average, the burger chain custom-makes more than 150 million Whataburgers a year – and uses nearly 350,000 gallons of mustard. Nationally, Americans consume approximately 14 billion burgers over the course of each year, according to NPR.

In all, nearly 20,000 of Whataburger’s more than 200,000 Facebook fans took part in the National Hamburger Month survey, conducted on Facebook from May 2 through May 9. Whataburger launched its official Facebook page in early April 2011.

Whataburger has focused on its fresh, made-to-order burgers and friendly customer service since 1950 when Harmon Dobson opened the first Whataburger as a small roadside burger stand in Corpus Christi, Texas. Dobson gave his restaurant a name he hoped to hear customers say every time they took a bite of his made-to-order burgers: “What a burger!” Within the first week, people lined up around the block for his 25 cent, all-American beef burgers served on five-inch buns. Today, the company is headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, with more than 700 locations in 10 states with sales of more than $1 billion annually.

After six months of hard work, dedication and perseverance followed by three days of high-intensity competitions, three Whataburger teams have emerged victorious at WhataGames, a unique competition designed to test the skills of Whataburger team members in the categories of operations, corporate history and customer service.

The teams, who beat out their competitors at Whataburger’s more than 700 restaurants in ten states, get more than bragging rights – the three teams reap $140,000 in cash prizes. The gold prize-winning team earned $5,000 for each of the 10 team members that attended the games and an additional $500 for each team member back at home. The silver medal winners took home $2,500 each and $250 each for their restaurant team members, and bronze medalists were awarded $1,000 each and $100 each for their restaurant team members. The winning teams include:

The competition, which officially started on November 2, 2010, included a series of elimination rounds involving mystery shoppers, pop quizzes and restaurant evaluations. The field was narrowed to 16 finalists in early March 2011. The finalists spent April 3-5 in Dallas at the Gaylord Texan Resort, participating in the WhataGames finals, a three-part competition involving a simulated 30-minute lunch rush at a nearby Whataburger restaurant (What’s Cookin’), a game show-style competition (WhataYaKnow) and a card game related to Whataburger’s procedures (Texas Hot Hold ‘Em).

General Manager Adriana Martinez, whose team won the coveted gold medal, worked day and night getting her team ready for the games: “Our team has been pumped from the very beginning, and we were truly focused on bringing home the gold — both for those of us who travelled to WhataGames and those that stayed at the restaurant to keep up our reputation for hard work and great service,” she said. “Many companies like to say it, but at Whataburger its true – hard work really does pay off. Thanks!”

A WhataGames team is comprised of 10 members from a local restaurant: one general manager, one manager, two team leaders and six team members.

Maintenance Team Competition

WhataGames also featured a competition between six teams from the company’s maintenance staff to determine which team best services and maintains important restaurant equipment like fryers, grills and drive-thru speakers. Whataburger’s maintenance services staff is responsible for nearly all of the company’s restaurants and is a crucial part of ensuring every Whataburger restaurant is clean and the equipment is functioning properly to provide great, fast service. The gold prize-winning team earned $5,000 for each of the 3 team members, silver medal winners took home $2,500 each and bronze medalists were awarded $1,000 each. Winners include:

Thomas E. Dobson Award

In addition to the exciting WhataGames finals for restaurant and maintenance teams, Whataburger also presented the Thomas E. Dobson award to the top corporate general managers from 2009 and 2010, each of whom receives $25,000. The nominees are chosen based on performance, positive feedback from their supervisors, and evaluations from the company’s Chairman and CEO, Tom Dobson.

Whataburger has focused on its fresh, made-to-order burgers and friendly customer service since 1950 when Harmon Dobson opened the first Whataburger as a small roadside burger stand in Corpus Christi, Texas. Dobson gave his restaurant a name he hoped to hear customers say every time they took a bite of his made-to-order burgers: “What a burger!” Within the first week, people lined up around the block for his 25 cent, all-American beef burgers served on five-inch buns. Today, the company is headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, with more than 700 locations in 10 states with sales of more than $1 billion annually.

Just in time for the Lenten season, Whataburger is offering customers the meat-free option of a Whatacatch fish taco and spicy tartar sauce for a limited-time. Now through May 1, fans can choose to substitute Whataburger’s original tartar sauce with a spicier alternative to add a southwestern touch to their Whatacatch taco or sandwich.

The Whatacatch taco includes breaded, sliced white fish filet wrapped up in a warm flour tortilla, accompanied with crisp lettuce and topped off with a choice of Whataburger’s original or spicy tartar sauce.

“We’re happy to bring the Whatacatch fish taco to our customers, along with the option to add spicy tartar sauce,” said Rich Scheffler, Whataburger Restaurants, LP Group Director of Marketing. “Both are unique limited-time offerings that we think our customers will truly enjoy during the Lenten season.”

Whataburger’s Whatacatch fish taco and spicy tartar sauce will be available through May 1. Guests can also choose to add the limited-time spicy tartar sauce to their favorite Whatacatch sandwich creations or choose to have regular tartar sauce on either fish offering.

Complete nutritional information can be found on Whataburger’s website.

Sixteen restaurants in Florida, Mississippi and Texas have emerged as finalists in Whataburger’s WhataGames, a unique competition designed to test the skills of Whataburger team members in the categories of operations, corporate history and customer service.

Stakes are high. The teams, who beat out their competitors at Whataburger’s more than 700 restaurants in ten states, will travel to Grapevine, Texas, near Dallas, for an intense 3-day competition, with big money prizes on the line.

The WhataGames gold medal winning team takes home $5,000 each as well as $500 each for their fellow restaurant team members that didn’t make the trip. Silver medal team members each win $2,500 and $250 for their restaurant team members and bronze team members each win $1,000 and $100 for their restaurant team members. In total, Whataburger invests $140,000 in prize money for the games, over and above travel and lodging expenses.

“This is a huge moment for our team,” said Annie Bernal, GM of Unit 800 in Kingsville, Texas and a returning finalist. “We’ve been training together for months – years if you count the 2009 competition — and the pressure is on. I am confident in our team and eager to show our pride in front of the thousands that make up the Whataburger family.”

Whataburger restaurant teams are comprised of 10 members: one general manager, one manager, two team leaders and six team members. The dedicated group studies their operations manuals, practices their burger-creating and frying skills, and memorizes Whataburger history, facts and procedures to ready themselves for the games. Through a process of elimination involving mystery shoppers, independent restaurant audits and pop quizzes, the top 16 restaurants rose above the rest.

Teams compete for three days, April 3-5, in three different competitions: WhataYaKnow, a Jeopardy-like game; Texas Hot Hold ‘Em, a card game related to Whataburger procedures; and What’s Cookin’, a simulated 30-minute lunch rush at a Whataburger restaurant located in Grapevine, Texas.

This year, for the first time, Whataburger team members will also be tested on their customer service in a competition called “March Gladness.” Throughout the month of March, service audit teams will conduct ‘mystery visits’ at each of the individual finalists’ restaurants to ensure teams are ‘serving customers with the extra smile’ that is a Whataburger trademark.

Along with the 16 WhataGames restaurant finalist teams, seven teams from the company’s maintenance staff will be competing to prove who can flawlessly maintain equipment like fryers, grills and drive-thru speakers. Whataburger’s maintenance services staff maintains all of the company’s more than 700 restaurants and are a crucial part of ensuring every Whataburger restaurant is clean and functions properly. Three technicians from each of Whataburger’s seven regions will compose the teams, which compete in their own competition for the same level of prizes as the restaurant teams.

“WhataGames is about the passion our team members have for delivering outstanding food and friendly service. It’s remarkable to see a 16-year-old win $5,000 and use it to help his family buy a new car or save it for college,” said Tom Dobson, Chairman and CEO for Whataburger Restaurants, LP. “It’s about much more than training or operations. WhataGames is a celebration of our commitment to our team members, our company’s culture and a tribute to our history.”

WhataGames finals are the featured event during the Whataburger Family Convention, held concurrently at the Gaylord Texas in Grapevine, near Dallas. The games were created in 1996 as a training exercise for operations to better serve our customers. The first event hosted less than 500 people, and today it attracts over 2,000 Whataburger team members. The convention is a family occasion, hosting Whataburger corporate and regional representatives, franchisees, suppliers, and their spouses, along with the WhataGames national finalists.

This year the 61-year old burger icon’s “Biggest Fans,” chosen from over 3,000 entries during Whataburger’s “Tell Us Why You’re Our Biggest Fan” online contest, will be recognized at the convention. Fans like Carol and Karl Hoepfner of Rockport, Texas, who have been customers since 1963 and enjoy breakfast together daily at their local Whataburger, will be awarded a prize package worth more than $10,000 and will travel to the Gaylord Texan for an all-expense paid visit and a welcome into the Whataburger Family. Seven “Biggest Fans” were named in October 2010.

WhataGames Restaurant Finalists, 2011

Tallahassee, Florida: Unit 912, 1701 West Tennessee

D’Iberville, Mississippi: Unit 843, 3611 Sangani

Austin, Texas: Unit 907, 6301 W. Parmer Lane, Building 3

Brownwood, Texas: Unit 534, 411 East Commerce

Corpus Christi, Texas: Unit 396, 4545 Violet Road

El Paso, Texas: Unit 372, 131 Americas Avenue South

Fort Worth, Texas: Unit 526, 3160 S. E. Loop 820

Houston: Unit 670, 3797 Southwest Freeway

Houston: Unit 601, 211 West Road

Kingsville, Texas: Unit 800, 2701 South US Hwy 77 Bypass

Laredo, Texas: Unit 669, 7110 McPherson Road

Laredo, Texas: Unit 845, 9102 McPherson Road

North Richland Hills, Texas: Unit 729, 6225 Precinct Line Road

Round Rock, Texas: Unit 528, 1501 South IH 35

San Antonio: Unit 782, 503 S. W. Military Drive

Victoria, Texas: Unit 788, 3603 Houston Highway

Whataburger is heating up February’s chilly weather with its Jalapeno Week promotion. Beginning Monday, February 14th through Sunday, February 20th, customers can add jalapenos to any burger, sandwich, taquito or other entree for free.

“Our customers are no stranger to the heat of our jalapenos, we get about 200,000 requests a week to add jalapenos,” said Rich Scheffler, Group Director of Marketing for Whataburger Restaurants LP. “Jalapeno Week is a way for us to celebrate our jalapeno-loving customers and also encourage others to customize their Whataburger and turn up the heat.”

Whataburger has long offered customers the option to add jalapenos to its menu items. In honor of the jalapeno, dine-in or drive-thru customers will be able to add free whole, sliced or grilled jalapenos upon request.

Some Whataburger customer favorites include:

• A Whataburger with grilled jalapenos – 100% American beef, mustard, lettuce, tomato, pickles, diced onions, a slice of American cheese and grilled jalapenos
• Chicken strips paired with a whole jalapeno
• Breakfast on a Bun “Ranchero Style” – bacon or sausage, a slice of American cheese and egg mixed with jalapenos and picante sauce on a toasted bun
• Grilled chicken salad with jalapenos – blend of romaine lettuce with grape tomatoes, a marinated grilled chicken filet and sliced jalapenos

In addition to adding jalapenos, customers can customize their burgers with cheese, bacon, extra patties and much more – in fact, there are more than 36,864 possible combinations. The famous Whataburger is exactly the same today as it was in 1950 – an all American fresh, never frozen beef patty with four dill pickle slices, three fresh tomato slices, crisp lettuce, onions and mustard, served on a freshly baked and toasted 5-inch bun.

Whataburger’s Jalapeno Week is part of Whataburger Serves, a series of themed events designed to share the Whataburger spirit of selfless service with customers, employees and the community. Some Whataburger restaurants will also celebrate the week by holding jalapeno eating contests to benefit local charities. Through these contests, Whataburger expects to donate $7,000 back to local nonprofit organizations.

Fanatical customers of family-owned Whataburger will celebrate the holidays this year with some spare change thanks to the ’12 Days of Whataburger.’ As part of the company’s ‘Whataburger Serves’ initiative, the month-long Internet coupon campaign offers customers the opportunity to receive up to 12 free food items throughout December.

The coupons include offers for free menu items such as fries, drinks, fried pies and even the company’s famous breakfast taquitos. Customers can sign up to receive the coupons via e-mail at www.whataburger.com. After signing up, customers will receive a different coupon every other day beginning Wednesday, December 1, and ending with a grand finale coupon for a free Whataburger on December, 23. Each coupon is valid for one day only for dine-in customers only.

“The holidays are a time of giving and we are happy to spread the cheer and acknowledge our loyal customers,” Preston Atkinson, Whataburger Restaurants, LP President and COO, said. This is our way of thanking them with free food throughout the month and encouraging the spirit of serving across the company.”

The ’12 Days of Whataburger’ Internet coupon campaign is part of ‘Whataburger Serves,’ a long-term series of themed activities that demonstrate Whataburger’s service-oriented approach to business. Plans include events to build employee team spirit and morale, customer appreciation initiatives with fun activities and free food offers, and community programs that support groups in need. More information about ‘Whataburger Serves’ is available at www.whataburger.com.

Whataburger’s partnership with The San Antonio Food Bank is part of Whataburger Serves. The long term initiative includes events to build employee team spirit and morale, customer appreciation initiatives with fun moments and free food offers, and community initiatives that will support groups in need. To learn more about Whataburger Serves and coming plans, visit www.whataburger.com/whataburger_serves.

Whataburger announces the introduction of its newest limited time menu item, the Whataburger 5-3-1. This new burger will be available November 8 at 3 p.m. through December 13 at 3 p.m. at all 700+ locations across 10 states.

The Whataburger 5-3-1 is named for its unique toppings: five pickles, three onion rings and topped with one great creamy pepper sauce, all served with two 100 percent fresh, never frozen, American beef patties grilled to perfection, a slice of Monterey Jack cheese and a slice of American cheese between two slices of Texas Toast.

“For more than 60 years, the Whataburger has remained unchanged. By adding our crispy onion rings we can provide our guests with the same Whataburger taste they know and love with one of our most popular sides,” said Rich Scheffler, Whataburger Restaurants, LP Group Director of Marketing. “Our all new 5-3-1 Burger is a true original and unlike anything we have done before.”

The Whataburger 5-3-1 can be purchased alone or in a Whatameal with a drink and French fries. For a small charge, customers can substitute a side salad, featuring a mix of romaine and iceberg lettuce, grape tomatoes and carrots, instead of fries.

For nutritional information for the 5-3-1 Burger or any other item on the Whataburger menu, customers can go to www.whataburger.com/menu_and_nutrition.php.

After a month-long search and poring over thousands of entries, Whataburger announces the winners in its “Tell Us Why You’re Our Biggest Fan” online contest, launched in August in celebration of the Southern burger icon’s 60th Anniversary.

Carol and Karl Hoepfner of Rockport, Texas, who have been customers since 1963 and enjoy breakfast together daily at their local Whataburger, are the grand prize winners and will receive a prize package worth more than $10,000, including gift cards for “60 Years of Free Whataburger.”

In their winning entry, the Hoepfners wrote, “We have traveled the world over, from the Arctic to Antarctica, from Asia to Europe … to more than 100 countries, islands and have never found a better hamburger than yours.” Since 1999, the couple has eaten more than 7,000 meals at Whataburger and the pair has credit card invoices that reflect more than 50 charges a month to prove it. They are greeted by name each day at their local restaurant in Rockport, Texas and sit at the same table with their permanently-assigned orange and white table tent number 13.

“We were looking for the most loyal Whataburger fans anywhere and I think we’ve definitely found them in Carol and Karl Hoepfner,” said Chairman and CEO Tom Dobson. “Customers like them are the reason for everything we do, from our quality food to our extra special customer service. We are humbled that they – and everyone who entered our contest — have made our restaurants a part of their lives.”

Second place winner Kristen Gardiner of Corpus Christi, Texas, met her husband James at Whataburger while the pair were in college and included photos of their “Whatababy” with her entry. The Gardiners will receive 60 months of free Whataburger in addition to other prizes totaling more than $2,000. Roger Blue of New Braunfels, Texas, who has been a customer since 1954 and took his 11-year-old nephew to a new Whataburger restaurant grand opening 2 hours and 30 minutes early to be the first customers in line, will enjoy free breakfast for 60 months as third place winner.

Other winners include Ted Martin of Dallas, a tournament fisherman who says a meal at Whataburger is his good luck charm; 81-year-old Jewell McGowen of Houston who says she remembers Whataburger as the first hamburger stand that didn’t turn her away because of her race, University of North Texas student Matthew Duerr of Denton, Texas who created a music video about his devotion to Whataburger; and Greg Clark of Clarksville, Tenn., an Army Staff Sergeant deployed in Afghanistan, who was nominated by his wife Michele.

All seven winners will receive a trip for two to the Gaylord Texan Resort in Dallas for a behind-the-scenes and once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see the “Whataburger Family Convention”, which is a gathering of the company’s employees held every other year. In addition, they will be the subjects of winner videos shot in their hometowns that will be shown at the event. To see stories in their entirety, customers can visit www.whataburgerbiggestfan.com.

Whataburger announces the introduction of its newest limited time menu item, the Chocolate Brownie Pie featuring warm chocolate brownie filling surrounded by a hot flaky crust for just 99 cents.

“The warm, sweet and flaky Chocolate Brownie Pie is a great addition to our dessert menu,” said Rich Scheffler, Whataburger Restaurants, LP Group Director of Marketing. “Our customers have grown up on our fried pies, and our newest pie offers a rich, delicious chocolate option.”

The fried pie was first introduced to the Whataburger menu in the late 1950s. Other limited-run pie flavors have included strawberry, cherry and lemon. In addition to the new Chocolate Brownie Pie, other dessert options include hot apple pies, shakes, cinnamon rolls, fruit chews, sugar and chocolate chunk cookies.

The Chocolate Brownie Pie is available through the end of the year at all Whataburger locations.

September is Hunger Action Month and Whataburger is partnering with the San Antonio Food Bank to fight hunger and raise awareness with the “SA Goes Orange” campaign.

Whataburger will host an all you can eat pancake breakfast to benefit the Food Bank on Saturday, September 25 from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. at San Antonio restaurants. Tickets are on sale for the pancake breakfast at all San Antonio Whataburger locations for $3. All proceeds benefit the San Antonio Food Bank.

“For 60 years, Whataburger has been dedicated to serving the communities in which we do business, and we could not be more proud to join the San Antonio Food Bank to feed the hungry in the San Antonio area,” said Pam Cox, Whataburger Group Director Corporate Communications . “Our sponsorship of SA Goes Orange is a part of our ‘Whataburger Serves’ initiative to share the Whataburger spirit of selfless service with customers and the community.”

“We are excited about this new partnership with Whataburger and hope that through these efforts we will raise awareness about the thousands of children, families and seniors that count on our services every
day,” said Eric Cooper, President/CEO of the San Antonio Food Bank. “We appreciate their partnership and that of their employees to help fight hunger in the San Antonio area.”

Family-owned Whataburger is headquartered in San Antonio and has 712 locations in 10 southern states. In 2001, Whataburger was officially recognized as a “Texas Treasure” by the Texas Legislature.

After celebrating its 60th birthday in August, Whataburger pays tribute to its founder, Harmon Dobson, by offering free four-ounce samplings of its famous shakes on Sunday, September 19 from 12-4 p.m. for dine-in customers.

Dobson opened his first Whataburger in 1950, a small burger stand located at 2609 Ayers Street in Corpus Christi, offering chocolate shakes for 15 cents to accompany the 25 cent burgers. Today, Whataburger offers thick, delicious shakes at 700+ locations in 10 states.

“Harmon Dobson opened his first Whataburger in 1950 and creamy, cold shakes on the original menu offered his customers a way to beat the Texas heat,” said Rich Scheffler, Whataburger Restaurants, LP Group Director of Marketing. “Sixty years later, customers still order our shakes to accompany their custom, 5-inch Whataburger, just as Harmon intended in 1950.”

Available in vanilla, chocolate and strawberry, Whataburger’s shakes are offered in three sizes – 16 ounce, 20 ounce and 32 ounce – and are available 24 hours a day, 364 days a year.

Whataburger celebrates its 60th anniversary in August with a nod to the company’s Texas heritage as it brings back its BBQ Cheddar Burger. The limited time menu item is available now through September 20 at all 700+ locations across 10 states.

The burger features two 100 percent fresh, never frozen, American beef patties grilled to perfection, topped with grilled onions, melted shredded cheddar cheese, pickles and Whataburger’s own special barbecue sauce on a toasted five-inch bun.

“Barbecue is a huge part of southern cuisine, so bringing back the BBQ Cheddar Burger is a great way to salute our heritage as we celebrate our 60th anniversary,” said Rich Scheffler, Whataburger Restaurants, LP Group Director of Marketing. “Our BBQ Cheddar Burger has a bold, tangy flavor that makes it a popular limited time menu item.”

The BBQ Cheddar Burger is available in two sizes, regular or junior, and can be purchased alone or in a combo meal with a drink and French fries. For a small charge, customers can substitute a side salad, featuring a mix of romaine and iceberg lettuce, grape tomatoes and carrots, instead of fries.

In nearly every one of Whataburger’s 700 restaurants, an old black and white photo of a distinctly American slice of 1950s life is displayed, depicting a group of young boys in their Little League uniforms proudly sponsored by Whataburger. To help celebrate its 60th anniversary, Whataburger conducted a multi-state search to reunite original members of that team, and will honor them Wednesday, August 4, on a ball field in Corpus Christi, where the first Whataburger opened in August of 1950.

Players Frank Thomas (#7), Howard Henslee (#6), John Simpson (#5) and Cliff Johnson (#13), now in their 60s, will throw the first pitch at the Corpus Christi Hooks home game at Whataburger Field as friends and families cheer them on. Whataburger will present each player with a custom replica Whataburger jersey and commemorative plaque featuring the photo, and will also recognize player Ray Dulak, who died while serving in the Vietnam War.

“It’s a special feeling to walk into a Whataburger, point at the picture and tell my friends and family – that’s me when I was a little boy!” said Frank Thomas, former Whataburger Athletics player who was instrumental in helping Whataburger find the other players. “Being able to throw the first pitch and reunite with my former teammates has been a dream come true.”

Whataburger founder Harmon Dobson didn’t just put his then-fledgling company name on the team jerseys – he also fed the kids burgers and shakes after each game. The photo of the boys shows them in the restaurant lined up in their uniforms, eagerly awaiting their post-game meal at a Corpus Christi Whataburger.

“Whataburger has been committed to encouraging young athletes from the very beginning, and we’re so proud to bring the guys from that great old photo back together,” said Tom Dobson, Chairman and CEO of Whataburger Restaurants, and son of founder Harmon Dobson. “As the kids used to say, it’s not whether you win or lose, it’s where you eat after the game. We are proud to have been that place for thousands of young athletes through the years.”

Dobson’s support of that Little League team was the start of Whataburger’s longstanding tradition of supporting the communities in which it does business through sports sponsorships. Today, Whataburger has grown its community partnerships through a variety of high school, collegiate and professional sports teams, including the Corpus Christi Hooks. Whataburger also sponsors one of the nation’s most prestigious high school basketball tournaments, the Whataburger Classic.