The Reason Behind Whataburger's Iconic Buildings That Fans Can Recognize From Just About Anywhere

When navigating the monotony of highway signs and street signals, some buildings are easier to spot than others. Take the contrasting paint lining the Whataburger buildings, for example. The unmistakable logo, which hasn't changed since 1972, and the commanding colors aren't accidental choices. 

In 1950, entrepreneur Harmon Dobson set out to make a burger that prompted visitors to exclaim "What a burger" upon first bite, leading to the trademark name. At a time when 2 ounces of beef was set into a 2 and a half inch bun, Whataburger's quarter pounders were piled into 5 inches of hamburger bun — and the idea was regarded as remarkable. The meat and vegetables were fresh and cooked to order in specially-made pans that could accommodate eight of these behemoths at once. The first Whataburgers sold for 25 cents each and became immediate hits. Not only was Dobson an inspired businessman, but the man was also a pilot and resorted to tactics like pulling banners with the business name through the sky and dropping free burger coupons from planes. In time, he even designed restaurants with inspiration taken from his time in the cockpit. 

Inspired by the idea of being able to see Whataburger buildings from above ground, Dobson made plans to open the 24th Whataburger store with an orange and white A-frame that would be impossible to ignore. Orange and white is commonly seen outside of airports and on landing strips, and the highest, brightest aviation beacons are often painted with glossy orange and white paint. Aviation authorities also use checkered patterns of orange and white to designate buildings that are important to see all day long, and orange and white windsocks, used to note wind speed and direction, are helpful to pilots during take-off and landing procedures.

Though customers pulling into a Whataburger aren't flying aircraft, Dobon's then-zany idea made it easy for hungry customers to know exactly where to go when looking for food and fast-food favorites that could be customized. After all, Whataburger has become one of the oldest fast food chains and one of the best regional fast food chains in the United States for good reason, and it isn't just paint.