Why is whataburger orange and white

The automobile changed that equation. A small sign like the one on the original Whataburger was no longer enough.

Dobson could have built a bigger sign, but he had a better idea. He decided to build a building that would itself act as the sign. Instead of a single-story box, Dobson imagined a tall, vertical structure. It would be strong — framed in steel and skinned in corrugated metal like the buildings he had built during the war. The A-frame would be set toward the rear of the site with a long canopy extending out toward the street to provide shade for diners who chose to eat in their cars. Dobson also painted his A-frames to make them as visible as possible.

International orange is a great color to use if you want to make an object stand out from its surroundings. Radio towers and other hazards in the way of aircrafts are often painted in alternating bands of white and international orange to make them as visible as possible.

Dobson knew this from his time as a pilot. It turns out that a color scheme that is visible to someone flying a plane is also visible to someone driving a car, so he painted his new Whataburger locations with alternating bands of white and international orange.

This bold color scheme has been associated with Whataburger ever since. Building codes began to limit the height of fast-food restaurants. New Whataburger stores would have larger dining areas and still feature white and orange roofs that were part of — but not all of — the building. Because these new designs were more efficient and less expensive to operate, many existing franchises would build a new building and abandon their original A-frame. Of course, a discarded A-frame still looks like a Whataburger even if it is being used for something else.

There are three of these abandoned A-frames still in use in San Antonio. The photos and information provided in this article are courtesy of Whataburger, their website , and the Texas Historical Commission. News Local News. Actions Facebook Tweet Email. By: Alyssa Flores. We might know why. Back then, a Whataburger hamburger only cost 25 cents. Whataburger website. Copyright Scripps Media, Inc. Harmon Dobson's fourth burger stand was placed in nearby Kingsville.

By there were nearly 40 restaurants in four states: Texas, Florida, Tennessee, and Arizona. That year Harmon commissioned the official company logo, the "Flying W. On April 11, , tragedy struck the Whataburger family.

Immediately after takeoff something went wrong, and the airplane crashed, killing both men instantly. Harmon Dobson was laid to rest in Batesville, Arkansas, next to his parents. In his will Dobson had expressed a desire that the business he created be preserved and continued if at all possible if something should ever happen to him. His wife Grace took over the business, but succeeding company heads were not members of the Dobson family.

In the company opened its th restaurant. By Whataburger had its th location. In the restaurants began serving breakfast in all locations, and original franchise owner Joe Andrews, Sr. The stores began hour operations in all locations in During the eighties the company drifted away from its core item, the Whataburger. The menu was changed continuously, sometimes with unfortunate results. With additions of soups, sandwiches, and popcorn salads, where was the Whataburger?

In after a disagreement led to a wedge between franchises and corporate, a crossroad had been reached. Family friend and franchise owner Andrews, Jr. On December 15, , Dobson's son Tom was unanimously elected president and chief executive officer of Whataburger, Inc.

At the age of forty-three Tom was standing in his father's shoes facing different challenges than Harmon Dobson ever had with Whataburger. There was a need for a new management team. The franchisees were ready for a legal battle over the distribution of vendor rebates. The last six years had seen a decline in sales. Stores were in need of repair and modernization. Many believed that the company had lost its focus on the chief product that had achieved its initial success.

Tom realized it was time to get back to concentrating on serving a fresh, made-to-order meal in a family atmosphere at a fair price that mega-chains could not deliver. The new management team quickly made an impact.