Whataburger Sold to Chicago Investment Firm

Discussion in 'Rusty's Grill' started by UT Horn Fan, Jun 15, 2019.

  1. UT Horn Fan

    UT Horn Fan 500+ Posts

  2. Vol Horn 4 Life

    Vol Horn 4 Life Good Bye To All The Rest!

    Hissssssssssss
     
  3. BallsofSteerToo

    BallsofSteerToo 100+ Posts

  4. horninchicago

    horninchicago 10,000+ Posts

    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.
     
    • poop poop x 1
  5. Dionysus

    Dionysus Idoit Admin

    The burger scene in Chicago is worse than I thought
     
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  6. horninchicago

    horninchicago 10,000+ Posts

    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.
     
    • Like Like x 1
  7. horninchicago

    horninchicago 10,000+ Posts

    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.
     
  8. uisge beatha

    uisge beatha 1,000+ Posts

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

    horninchicago 10,000+ Posts

    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.
     
  10. SabreHorn

    SabreHorn 10,000+ Posts

    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.
     
    • Agree Agree x 1
  11. horninchicago

    horninchicago 10,000+ Posts

    I've been out of Texas for a while and thankfully, it sounds like, I don't know Bill Miller's.
     
    • Like Like x 1
  12. uisge beatha

    uisge beatha 1,000+ Posts

    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
     
    • Like Like x 1
  13. SabreHorn

    SabreHorn 10,000+ Posts

    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.
     
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    Last edited: Jun 19, 2019
  14. horninchicago

    horninchicago 10,000+ Posts

    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.
     
    • Like Like x 1
  15. Sangre Naranjada

    Sangre Naranjada 10,000+ Posts

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

    Chop 10,000+ Posts

    "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.
     
    • Funny Funny x 1
  17. horninchicago

    horninchicago 10,000+ Posts

    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.
     
  18. Dionysus

    Dionysus Idoit Admin

    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.
     
    • poop poop x 2
    • Agree Agree x 1
  19. horninchicago

    horninchicago 10,000+ Posts

    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.
     
  20. Dionysus

    Dionysus Idoit Admin

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

    LongestHorn 2,500+ Posts

    [​IMG]
     
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  22. Chop

    Chop 10,000+ Posts

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

    :smile1:

    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.
     
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    Last edited: Jul 16, 2019
  23. Chop

    Chop 10,000+ Posts

    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.
     
  24. Chop

    Chop 10,000+ Posts

    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.


    [​IMG]
     
    • Agree Agree x 1
  25. horninchicago

    horninchicago 10,000+ Posts

    And they will be called red hots.
     
  26. TxnByBirth

    TxnByBirth 1,000+ Posts

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

    horninchicago 10,000+ Posts

    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.
     
  28. Chop

    Chop 10,000+ Posts

    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.
     
  29. horninchicago

    horninchicago 10,000+ Posts

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

    images.jpg
     
    • Funny Funny x 1
  30. mb227

    mb227 de Plorable

    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.
     

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