Whataburger

Harmon Dobson opened the first Whataburger in Corpus Christi, Texas, in 1950 with a simple ambition: a burger so big it took two hands to hold and so good that people would say “What a burger!” when they bit into it. In 1961 he designed the orange-and-white striped A-frame buildings, inspired by his love of aviation, and they became as recognisable in Texas as the flag.

Whataburger is not just popular in Texas, it is part of the identity. The state legislature declared it a Texas Treasure in 2001, and when the Dobson family sold a majority stake to a Chicago investment firm in 2019, a lot of Texans took it personally. Everything is cooked to order, which is slower than the competition and completely worth it.

Around 1,000 restaurants across the South and Southwest, with Texas at its heart.