Deal spans 40+ restaurants in Northeast Texas, Florida Panhandle CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas, Sept. 29
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas, Sept. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Family-owned Whataburger
today announced the acquisition of its largest franchisee, Barrand, Inc., a
Red Oak, Texas-based company with 47 Whataburger restaurants in Northeast
Texas and the Florida Panhandle.
These restaurants were operated by Barrand, Inc.'s owner and longtime
Whataburger franchisee, Randal Brown. Whataburger Vice President of Franchise
Development Clifton Rutledge will oversee the newly acquired restaurants, 24
in Northeast Texas and 23 in the Florida Panhandle, and work with
approximately 1,700 Barrand, Inc. team members to continue Whataburger's
58-year burger tradition.
"Randal has been a part of our franchise system for 24 years. His
restaurants are known for their friendly service, as community gathering
places, and were consistently among the highest volume restaurants in the
system," Preston Atkinson, Whataburger President and COO, said. "This
acquisition goes far beyond numbers for Whataburger. It is significant because
it means we can ensure that our loyal customers continue to receive the
friendly service and fresh, made-to-order food they've come to love at
Whataburger."
Mr. Brown became a Whataburger franchisee in 1983, opened his first
location in Desoto, Texas and demonstrated steady growth to 47 restaurants.
"I've enjoyed being a part of the Whataburger family and seeing this brand
grow," Brown said. "I know our restaurants will continue to be an important
part of many Texas and Florida communities for years to come."
Whataburger will now own 591 of 712 Whataburger restaurants, including 84
percent of all its locations in Florida, strengthening its position in the
first state Whataburger expanded to outside of Texas.
Family-owned Whataburger has focused on its fresh, made-to-order burgers
and friendly customer service since 1950, when company founder Harmon Dobson
opened his first Whataburger restaurant in Corpus Christi. The small, wooden
stand sold the enormous burgers for 25 cents each, and before the first week
was out, lines stretched down the street. Today, the company has more than 700
locations in 10 states with sales of more than $1 billion annually. Visit
http://whataburger.com for more information.
Contacts: Suzanne Miller or Allison Yeaman
SPM Communications
(817) 329-3257
spm@spmcommunications.com
allison@spmcommunications.com
Pam Cox
Corporate Communications
Whataburger Restaurants, LP
(361) 878-0547
pcox@wbhq.com
SOURCE Whataburger
