Whataburger Sold to Chicago Investment Firm

[UT Horn Fan]

Whataburger Sold to Chicago Investment Firm

Booo!!!

 

[Vol Horn 4 Life]

Hissssssssssss

 

[BallsofSteerToo]

Boom Ba!

 

[horninchicago]

We have no Whataburger in the Chicago area. I hope they bring them here. I also hope they don't screw it up, but a screwed up Whataburger up here is still better than no Whataburger.

 

[Dionysus]

a screwed up Whataburger up here is still better than no Whataburger.

The burger scene in Chicago is worse than I thought

 

[horninchicago]

The burger scene in Chicago is worse than I thought

Yep, if you ever come here and go to Portillo's let me know what you think of their burgers. The drive thrus at these places are literally so backed up they have people in the line taking orders. And they are not very good, IMO.

 

[horninchicago]

Furthermore, plenty of people go to lousy barbecue chains in Texas like Spring Creek. Horrible, but they still get business. Can't imagine most people being very aware of this WB change after some time passes and even if it suffers a bit quality wise, it will still pack 'em in.

 

[uisge beatha]

Yep, if you ever come here and go to Portillo's let me know what you think of their burgers. The drive thrus at these places are literally so backed up they have people in the line taking orders. And they are not very good, IMO.

Never tried their burgers. When I went there, it was for the Italian beef.

 

[horninchicago]

Never tried their burgers. When I went there, it was for the Italian beef.

I think their food overall is just okay. To me, again, like going to Spring Creek or some such place vs. a really good barbecue place.

 

[SabreHorn]

HIC,

Speaking of BBQ, you may have missed that Bill Miller's is advertising that they are still locally owned. Bill Miller's makes Spring Creek look like gourmet cuisine, unless you are in the used oil/grease business.

 

[horninchicago]

HIC,

Speaking of BBQ, you may have missed that Bill Miller's is advertising that they are still locally owned. Bill Miller's makes Spring Creek look like gourmet cuisine, unless you are in the used oil/grease business.

I've been out of Texas for a while and thankfully, it sounds like, I don't know Bill Miller's.

 

[uisge beatha]

I think their food overall is just okay. To me, again, like going to Spring Creek or some such place vs. a really good barbecue place.

It was the best italian beef I found the 2 years I lived there. Let me know a better and I'll try it the next time I'm that way

 

[SabreHorn]

I don't know how long Bill Miller's has been around Bexar County, but don't discount rumors that Santa Ana ate there when he was there on his last visit.

Imagine brisket tougher than the sole of your boot, marinated two weeks in used crankcase oil, yet full of fat & grizzle.

 

[horninchicago]

It was the best italian beef I found the 2 years I lived there. Let me know a better and I'll try it the next time I'm that way

To be fair, I haven't had their Italian beef in quite a while even though there is one located a mile and a half from me in Willowbrook. I'll try it again sometime.

I always liked Al's Italian Beef. Mrs. horninchicago, who grew up in the SW burbs, says Mr. Beefy's is the best.

 

[Sangre Naranjada]

Mrs. horninchicago, who grew up in the SW burbs, says Mr. Beefy's is the best.

Do we need to bring back the Austin 3:16 board?

 

[Chop]

"Imagine brisket tougher than the sole of your boot, marinated two weeks in used crankcase oil, yet full of fat & grizzle."

Then you'd be at Woody's Smokehouse on the I-45 Northbound feeder road in Centerville.

 

[horninchicago]

I guess the question becomes is why would the new owners mess with the formula? They obviously see a winner and just want to expand it and improve the marketing and breadth of Whataburger.

That is my hope, of course. It isn't like Whataburger is struggling financially, is it? That would be a much different case if they were buying it to re-brand it and bring it out of financial woes.

 

[Dionysus]

I guess the question becomes is why would the new owners mess with the formula?

One thing I have seen in business is that new blood often wants to make their mark on the operation, so they start implementing “improvements” that often are unnecessary, and sometimes just foolish.

I don’t know anything about WB’s financial situation but new owners may have a mandate from investors to squeeze a few more dollars of margin out of the thing, and that’s where cost-cutting and other compromises start to creep in, gradually eroding the quality and culture that made it successful in the first place.

 

[horninchicago]

One thing I have seen in business is that new blood often wants to make their mark on the operation, so they start implementing “improvements” that often are unnecessary, and sometimes just foolish.

I don’t know anything about WB’s financial situation but new owners may have a mandate from investors to squeeze a few more dollars of margin out of the thing, and that’s where cost-cutting and other compromises start to creep in, gradually eroding the quality and culture that made it successful in the first place.

That all may be true, I hope not. I can tell you I have been to a Whataburger in the Phoenix area several times when I flew private jets. Around 2004-2008. Their quality was nothing close to being in a Texas Whataburger.

It is no different than eating at Uncle Julio's or Chuy's up here. Company owned stores and darn good, but nothing like the quality and atmosphere of being in Texas. Hell, none of the staff up here seem to have a clue that both of those restaurants are Texas bred.

Edit: I pooped you just because I haven't done that in a while, and we need to keep that going.

 

[Dionysus]

Edit: I pooped you just because I haven't done that in a while, and we need to keep that going.

My second poop of the morning if you know what I mean, I think you do

 

[LongestHorn]

 

[Chop]

That all may be true, I hope not. I can tell you I have been to a Whataburger in the Phoenix area several times when I flew private jets. Around 2004-2008. Their quality was nothing close to being in a Texas Whataburger.

It is no different than eating at Uncle Julio's or Chuy's up here. Company owned stores and darn good, but nothing like the quality and atmosphere of being in Texas. Hell, none of the staff up here seem to have a clue that both of those restaurants are Texas bred.

Edit: I pooped you just because I haven't done that in a while, and we need to keep that going.

Some bran cereal might help. If that doesn’t work, maybe some prunes or Metamucil.




And if you really want to see many posters pooping all over each others’ posts, visit the Women’s Basketball forum. They’re downright nasty to each other over there. Poop flying everywhere.

 

[Chop]

One thing I have seen in business is that new blood often wants to make their mark on the operation, so they start implementing “improvements” that often are unnecessary, and sometimes just foolish.

I don’t know anything about WB’s financial situation but new owners may have a mandate from investors to squeeze a few more dollars of margin out of the thing, and that’s where cost-cutting and other compromises start to creep in, gradually eroding the quality and culture that made it successful in the first place.

I’ve noticed the same thing. Another thing to keep in mind is that, usually, finance guys are not operations-minded guys...
Solid operations built a valuable franchise.

 

[Chop]

We'll know things have taken a wrong turn if Whataburger starts offering hot dogs--and with tomatoes, pickles, and other garden salad stuff on them.

 

[horninchicago]

We'll know things have taken a wrong turn if Whataburger starts offering hot dogs--and with tomatoes, pickles, and other garden salad stuff on them.

And they will be called red hots.

 

[TxnByBirth]

That all may be true, I hope not. I can tell you I have been to a Whataburger in the Phoenix area several times when I flew private jets. Around 2004-2008. Their quality was nothing close to being in a Texas Whataburger.

It is no different than eating at Uncle Julio's or Chuy's up here. Company owned stores and darn good, but nothing like the quality and atmosphere of being in Texas. Hell, none of the staff up here seem to have a clue that both of those restaurants are Texas bred.

I would put Dairy Queen in this same category. Good luck finding a steak finger basket or D.Q. Dude outside of Texas.

 

[horninchicago]

I would put Dairy Queen in this same category. Good luck finding a steak finger basket or D.Q. Dude outside of Texas.

That is true, and I have mentioned that to my wife. Dairy Queen actually started up here, I believe in Joliet, basically a Chicago suburb.

 

[Chop]

Interesting that Dairy Queen is from Illinois. I always associated it with Texas. Joliet, Illinois also brought us Tastee Freez--a Dairy Queen like place made (more) famous by John Cougar/Mellancamp's "Jack and Diane." They claim to be the original soft serve ice cream place.

 

[horninchicago]

Interesting that Dairy Queen is from Illinois. I always associated it with Texas. Joliet, Illinois also brought us Tastee Freez--a Dairy Queen like place made (more) famous by John Cougar/Mellancamp's "Jack and Diane." They claim to be the original soft serve ice cream place.

Yep, 1940 in Joliet. Do you remember the DQ characters? DQ Kid and the others?

 

[mb227]

I would put Dairy Queen in this same category. Good luck finding a steak finger basket or D.Q. Dude outside of Texas.

I had one of the steak finger baskets the other day as I was going through Giddings...was quite a disappointment compared to what I recalled the baskets being. Too much breading and next to no flavor. They did at least get the Texas Toast correct...just the right amount of butter-like substance before it went on the grill.