I found it very interesting that they are still selling the same tasty burgers they sold in 1950 at their first restaurant in Corpus Christi. Numbers went from 600 to 950 burgers per day.10, August 4, 1951- Proud to be the beginning of what may be a lifelong business. This tiny burger stand offered something people had never seen: a burger that was so big, they had to hold its five-inch bun with two hands. The location of the first Whataburger was 2609 Ayers Street, across from Del Mar College in Corpus Christi. Their business completed the next day, on April 11, 1967, and the men were going back home. David Kessler's top 4 tips for dealing with holiday grief. Whataburger is bigger than all of those, and that may be the point. A brief period of military camels in Texas became lost to even most history books. When everyone told Grace to just let go, the love of her husband and the desire to honor a promise propelled her forward into uncharted territory as she fought to keep the Whataburger legacy alive. Sadly, in 2005, Whataburger Family Members mourned the loss of Lady Grace as she was called by many. The meeting between Pierce and the rich soil of the coastal plains of Texas might have been destiny. August 10, 1950- I came to Corpus Wed. Paul finally opened Tuesday [August 8] $50 first day, $79 yesterday & $62 today. Andrews developed a close relationship with Dobson; he even coined the companys popular slogan, We build a bigger, better burger., Today, those oversized burgers and the promise of fresh ingredients generate annual sales of $1.8 billion, making Whataburger the thirty-third-largest restaurant chain in the countryand the second-largest founded and based in Texas, after Chilis. Its not surprising that people might want a bigger piece of that pie.. In 1959, the first Whataburger restaurant outside of the state of Texas opened in Pensacola, Florida.[5]. Drag images here or select from your computer for Harmon Archibald Dobson memorial. However, over the years, Whataburger has become a legend in its own right. My name is Courtney Pena and I am from McAllen, Texas. 1967 Press Photo Plane Crash Kill Harmon Dobson & Luther Sneed Restaurant Owners Condition: -- Price: US $10.00 Buy It Now Add to cart Add to Watchlist Returns accepted Ships from United States Shipping: US $4.99Standard Shipping | See details Located in: Memphis, Tennessee, United States Delivery: In the midst of this turmoil, Andrews, who decades earlier had been given exclusive rights to Bexar, Bee, Jim Wells, and Webb counties, decided in 1990 to sell his San Antonio franchises to an outside buyer, in order to better focus on the South Texas market. New menu additions soon followed, including the Breakfast On A Bun, Whatachick'nand the now-famous breakfast Taquitos. The burgers were always cooked exactly how the customer wanted them to be. Dobson's journey started when he left Arkansas for Texas in 1950. All photos uploaded successfully, click on the Done button to see the photos in the gallery. You have chosen this person to be their own family member. He was not afraid to tell people if they did not meet his standards.. The burgers were always cooked exactly how the customer wanted them to be. These days, Whataburger doesnt seem so grateful. By 1951, Dobson was an official Texan. Contents 1 Early life 2 Whataburger 3 Death 4 References Early life The meat and vegetables were always fresh, never frozen. Expand the Memories and Condolences form. based on information from your browser. I am an English & Communication Arts major at St. Marys University. By March 5, the couple was married. Instead, during the next 38 years, the Whataburger matriarch, who died of complications from cancer Thursday in a local hospital at age 80, played an integral part in growing the hamburger chain into the eighth largest in the nation. Fire Ants Have Unleashed Chaos in Texas for Decades. 200 RESTAURANTS AND GROWING. I always found it kind of weird that Whataburger has mostly been a Texas obsession and it amazes me that when they expanded to Memphis and Las Vegas, business declined. By 1949, Dobson was done with diamonds and began searching for a safe place to land. Dobson wrote about this difficulty in his journal: Late May, 1950- Landed back in Midland April 21 to find that Henry Mode, my oil partner, had begun drinking again. I never knew anything about the man who created it and i found it hilarious that he wanted people to say what a burger! By 1960, Whataburger had 17 restaurants. Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. Together, they raised three children: Hugh, Lynne and Tom. The main reason for the move was for oil. Harmon Dobson founded this famous Texas hot spot in 1950. If you fill out the first name, last name, or agree to terms fields, you will NOT be added to the newsletter list. I share with Whataburger employees how my brothers and I would have 35 cent Whataburgers from the original Ayers street store before going to the picture show. The email does not appear to be a valid email address. As a standard for mythical tall tales and legends, it comes as no surprise that Texas holds the national corner on stories of lost treasure. In 1955, Harmon married Grace Williamson. Whataburgers affairs were more and more being turned over to the professionals, all of whom wanted to participate in what by now had ceased to be a family business and had become simply a large corporate entity, WOA claims in its lawsuit. The Dobsons son, Tom, became Whataburgers chief executive in 1993. Dobson wrote about this difficulty in his journal: Late May, 1950- Landed back in Midland April 21 to find that Henry Mode, my oil partner, had begun drinking again. Dobson was involved in the early growth of the franchise from 1950 until his death in an airplane crash in 1967. His mother, Louise, and his sister, Kathy Reese, ran the business until Louise died, in 2005, leaving Reese in charge. You have funeral questions, we have answers. The Alice franchise was a quick success, and over the decades Whataburger and the Andrews familys company, Whataburger of Alice (WOA), grew in tandem. Dobson was raised in a small rural farming community of Cushman, Arkansas. Dobson faced financial challenges. By the late eighties the company had begun to lose its way. Harmon Dobson founded this famous Texas hot spot in 1950. "But through all of their giving and the charitable things that they did for the community and the state of Texas it glowed down on her anyway. Earlier in the year, Harmon had crashed in Dutch Guiana at the northern tip of South America while en route to North Africa. On April 10, 1967, Dobson needed to fly to Beaumont, Texas for business and wanted someone to come along with him. I had no idea that the founder of Whataburger started in the oil business! Two summers ago, with the South Texas sun beating down, a group of civic leaders gathered in front of the Whataburger on Main Street in Alice to unveil a bust of the late Joe Andrews Sr. Whataburger had commissioned the "Flying W" company logo and had expanded to 40 locations in four states. Dobson was involved in the early growth of the franchise from 1950 until his death in an airplane crash in 1967. Harmon Archibald Dobson (October 8, 1913 - April 11, 1967) was an American entrepreneur best known as one of the founders of the fast food chain Whataburger. Learning about Dobsons history was interesting as well, I didnt know that he had originally started out attempting to capitalize on the oil industry. I hope to become a successful journalist in the future. In 1955, Harmon married Grace Williamson. BDT Capital Partners acquired a majority interest in Whataburger and Ed Nelson was promoted to President in 2019. Being proud of everything we do. Continuing with this request will add an alert to the cemetery page and any new volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request. As a devout Whataburger customer this article was fascinating. Whataburger saw a change of leadership for the first time since the 1990s as Tom Dobson, Harmon's son, took over as President and CEO. Photos larger than 8Mb will be reduced. However, Dobson was already looking to move on to bigger ventures. Unflinching, she steadfastly refused. Resend Activation Email. The purpose of this is to explore expansion plans in the northern area of the United States while staying true to the brands message.15 Some of the brand messages can be found in The Whataburger Difference. The Whataburger Difference is what separates the company from every other competitor that they have and one of the five points of focus is to protect and serve the best products in the industry.16 With this said, hopefully Texans will stay true to the family brand as changes occur, which would surely make Dobson proud of how his company has grown. Eventually, more people came to eat the fresh, large burgers. The burger chain has large hamburgers, skinny long fries, creamy milkshakes, and more. The best poems for funerals, memorial services., and cards. Im beginning to like it & the dollars too.11, By the spring of 1967, Whataburger had expanded to more than forty stores in sixteen Texas cities and four states since it had first opened in 1950. Shocked and saddened, the Whataburger family gathered around Lady Grace to comfort her and her three children in the wake of the tragedy. No animated GIFs, photos with additional graphics (borders, embellishments. In short, Whataburger made it very plain that its position is that Whataburger never intended WOA would have the benefits that the 1993 Agreement clearly states that it does, the lawsuit says. Following that, the adventurous Dobson traveled to Bahrain in the Persian Gulf to help build a refinery. Fowler died after the Harmon Rocket plane he was piloting went down in a field northwest of Thorsby, Alta., on Saturday afternoon. Later, he went to Egypt and worked on the Suez Canal. Tom healed the wounds that Peterson left on Whataburger by pulling together as a company, simplifying its message, shutting down less profitable locations, and putting emphasis back on its famous burgers.14. This attention to detail likely led to Whataburger receiving $50 in purchases on their first day.5. New specialty items included the Whataburger Patty Melt and the Honey BBQ Chicken Strip Sandwich. In 2001, the 77th Texas Legislature officially recognized what Texans had known for more than 50 years: Whataburger is a designated a Texas Treasure.' Food has always been a go-to for people in mourning. I'm going to miss her, too." Remove advertising from a memorial by sponsoring it for just $5. The All-Time Favorites menu, featuring four of the most loved specialty sandwiches from over the years, made its debut and was greeted enthusiastically by Whataburger fans. By the mid-60s, there were over 40 stores in fifteen Texas cities and four states. The Whataburger, however, was a whopping quarter pound of fresh grilled beef loaded with fresh vegetables and served on a 5-inch bun, and in 1950 there was nothing like it.