Whataburger
owners recently sold a majority of stake in the restaurant to BDT
Capital Partner, which are based in Chicago. And, Texans are not
happy with the decision or move.
Whataburger
attempted to reassure its customers, saying they are always going to
be Texan, representing the state the way that makes their fans happy.
Still,
many of Whataburger’s fans have taken to the Internet to express
their outrage and disappointment. JJ Watt, defensive end for the
Texans, tweeted that everybody needs to chip in and buy back
Whataburger, making sure to keep the honey butter chicken biscuits
available throughout the day and change nothing about the restaurant
– not even the ketchup. His tweet has been retweeted over 20,000
times.
While its headquarters will stay in San Antonio, the Whataburger team and BDT have looked at expansion plans.
According
to BDT Capital Partners LLC owner Byron Trott, the restaurant doesn’t
have the kind of exposure that Shake Shack and In-N-Out Burger have.
His group wants to change that so that it becomes a household name.
Preston
Atkinson, Whataburger CEO and president, said the company was excited
about its partnership with BDT due to their respect and admiration of
the brand that’s Whataburger built. He said they would like to
preserve the brand and help to grow competitively. Atkinson said BDT
has no plans to change the recipe for the restaurant’s success.
Harmon
Dobson came up with Whataburger, selling his products at a roadside
burger stand in Corpus Christi, Texas in 1950. Today, there are more
than 800 locations in 10 states with 700 alone in just Texas.
His
son, Tom Dobson, will continue on the chain’s board of directors.
And, chief financial officer Ed Nelson was endorsed to become the
chain’s president.
