10 Things Whataburger Employees Know That Customers Don't

Whataburger boasts a long legacy of satisfied customers, and has garnered many devoted fans as a result. Repeat fans passionately share their best insider tips and menu items, carrying on the traditions and popularity of this fast food staple.

These experts flex their knowledge about the spot all over the internet — and we thank them for it. Without these posts, we probably wouldn't be aware of the unwritten rules to know before visiting Whataburger. However, these fans don't have the entire scoop. After gathering information from employees of the expanding chain, we found that you can't truly understand the whole picture, unless you're in the belly of the Whataburger beast.

For those who are neither an in-the-know regular nor employee, here's the main deal: on the outside, Whataburger doesn't seem that different from McDonald's, Burger King, Taco Bell, or others like it; however, this Texas-based fast food chain operates quite differently than its competitors, in most areas.

Maybe it's the Texas way, or a completely original ethos of its own. Whatever the reason, the restaurant is unique in its operation, preparation, staff culture, training, and beyond. When it comes down to working, what do its handbook requirements really entail? In this list, we'll fill you in on a few things Whataburger employees know, that customers don't.

According to employees, ordering off of the individual ingredient menu is one of the chain's best kept secrets. This menu is located within the franchise's POS systems, which means these individual items are available when ordering in person. Because this section can't be found online, in the app, or front and center at a store, it can be tricky to know what these individual items are. However, if you know your way around a Whataburger menu, or are open to sleuthing for information on Reddit, you can easily figure it out for yourself.

Here's a hint — with this menu available at employees' fingertips, customers can order pretty much order whatever the restaurant stocks. This includes hard-boiled eggs, extra veggies, a side of bacon, condiments, and more. These aren't official menu items, so keep in mind these orders may be up to the jurisdiction of the employee or location. However, because Whataburger is well-known for encouraging customization, it's definitely worth a try. "Anything that comes on a burger or on a salad you can do by itself," says one customer service employee on Reddit.

If you want a fail-safe option, or prefer upfront pricing, Whataburger fans say you can still order cult-favorite items like the Monterey Melt. However, for those who like to take matters of the menu into their own hands, the individual ingredient menu is an excellent hack.

Ketchup is a big yes or no at Whataburger, depending on the context. For those who aren't filled in, Whataburger automatically serves burgers "the Texas way" with mustard, pickles, lettuce, tomato, and onion. This means no ketchup in sight, unless the customer makes a specific request. It's an interesting principle, considering the chain is adored for its outstanding ketchup. Whataburger's varieties of ketchup have a wildly popular reputation, to the point that fans brought on the sale of these condiments in grocery stores. Whataburger now has years of a successful partnership with the grocery store chain H-E-B under its belt, which keeps Spicy Ketchup and Fancy Ketchup stocked on its shelves.

There's one more ketchup fact to understand about Whataburger, but this one is only known by its employees. These workers have to abide by strict limits on how much ketchup they can shell out, and it's usually within the two to four packet range. This caution probably goes hand-in-hand with Whataburger brand ketchup's mass popularity. Because the chain's ketchup is so well-loved, employees notice customers will try to ask for ridiculous amounts of it.

But, some of Whataburger's more generous employees admit they still give away more than the standard amount. If you're one of those people who always wants more ketchup, it's worth it to at least ask. It's possible this rule may be bent.

Breakfast is one of the most celebrated things about Whataburger's offerings. Occurring during the hours of 11 p.m. to 11 a.m., customers enjoy the option to order late at night, or early in the morning. Plus, some customer favorites exist on this menu, like the Breakfast on a Bun, Honey Butter Chicken Biscuit, and Breakfast Bowl. The fast food burger chain serves one of the highest quality breakfast sandwiches around, so the popularity of this menu comes as no surprise. With that said, what happens if you miss this treasured breakfast window?

You don't have to be stuck with just lunch or dinner options when Whataburger stops serving breakfast, as employees offer the assurance you can recreate a lot of these menu items. Through customization, almost nothing is off limits. Here's a pro tip: add an egg to a Whataburger to make your own breakfast sandwich. With the individual ingredient menu, you can also order bacon as a side. Or, utilize honey butter to make items more inline with breakfast, such as the popular trick of ordering the Honey BBQ Chicken Sandwich with honey butter, instead of barbecue sauce.

It's possible these modifications could be denied depending on the location. However, here's another little known fact: both hash browns and cinnamon rolls are available at most Whataburger locations 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Don't despair, there are always a few ways to get your breakfast fix.

Both Whataburger employees and customers embrace the ease of online fast food orders. For one, the app makes menu items even more customizable than usual. Customers can see all ingredients and prices laid out on the screen, making way for a more straightforward process than ordering in person. With all the possible substitutions, there are plenty of Whataburger hacks to try. Additionally, customers can gain points toward their purchases. And, there's no waiting in line, which is one of the main customer gripes about the Whataburger experience.

Using the app to help customize your order goes hand-in-hand with one of the chain's mottos, "just like you like it." But, from an employee's perspective, the execution of these app orders is one of the hardest tasks to handle at work. It is repeatedly mentioned in online forums for the stress it causes employees. For starters, the app is usually wrong about when the food will be ready. Because of this, Whataburger workers are used to being met with angry customers who are frustrated about wait times, or the inconsistent temperature of their food due to incorrect pick-up times.

Although advanced customization is one thing that makes Whataburger great, it also gives way to online orders that show up as incredibly complicated tickets. With no in-person employee to say no, these app orders are sometimes impossible to make. This can leave Whataburger workers in a jam.

This may come as a surprise, but Whataburger employees don't actually have the inside scoop on upcoming menus — at least not in the way customers might assume. While they might receive a heads-up about menu additions, it's mainly for the purpose of proper training on the item, before it hits the public. In terms of timeline, staff is in on the secret for only about a week in advance.

This timing definitely seems intentional. With a lot of customer speculation surrounding limited-time offers, the corporate office keeps plans for limited-time offer menus and calendars under wraps until official releases. Nevertheless, this schedule isn't always carried out as intended. Sneaky staff members have preemptively spilled in the past, and online forums are created for prying these secrets from those with intel. Additionally, some managers are more generous about this information than others. Another way employees have indirectly learned about upcoming menu items is through cleverly searching the POS system. Prior to release, these items are sometimes posted in the system before staff is notified. So yes, there can be ways for employees to get an even earlier heads-up. However, this information isn't necessarily given freely to Whataburger wage earners.

Some customers complain about slow service at Whataburger, but they don't always see what happens behind the scenes. Employees explain that the longer wait times are a natural result of the company's impressive fresh food policy. Everything is made to order, from Whataburger's fluffy pancakes to its popular burgers and beyond. To make the quintessential Whataburgers, staff starts with fresh raw meat that is never frozen. Because of this, customers can effectively ask employees to hold the salt, which is the key to getting a fresher burger at Whataburger. Adding to the overall quality of the food, Whataburger often receives its ingredients from local suppliers, and the vegetables are also hand cut in house

Food freshness is one of the main reasons why customers like this Texas chain. Unfortunately, customers who don't know this information about Whataburger may not understand the value of its products. Online complaints about pricing and convenience are pretty common. So many Americans are frustrated with the fast food industry in general, so assuming Whataburger follows suit is valid, especially if you aren't familiar the chain's principles. 

Luckily, CEO Debbie Stroud acknowledges issues on wait times, and has plans to make improvements. Whether Whataburger gets faster or not, employees will always know why the food is worth the wait. When comparing Whataburger to other fast food chains, its commitment to a fresh product is indeed noteworthy.

Whataburger serves up some pretty delightful shakes; however, employees seem to divulge about their disdain for Whataburger's shake machines. Described as finicky, complex, and hard to clean, the process of making these shakes is a lot more laborious than just pressing a button.

Depending on the location and type of machine, staff members are tasked with adding in syrups, carefully monitoring texture and consistency, and even handspinning the ingredients of the chain's shakes. This extensive process can be stressful during a rush, especially since customers don't know about the extra steps that can slow down workers. Adding to the chaos, these machines are so loud that it can be hard to hear customer orders over the sound.

According to employees, the process of cleaning and sanitizing Whataburger shake machines is also a tedious endeavor. This multistep process can be complicated, with requirements of sanitizing the machine's parts, as well as its lines. Customers rave about the chain's frosty and delicious shakes, but they don't have to experience the frustrating ins and outs of these machines. For all of these reasons, employees often claim shakes are among the most annoying menu items to make at Whataburger.

Customization may make customers think only of add-ons, but preparation plays a part as well. If you like a toasty bun, know that Whataburger's buns aren't prepared a certain way unless a request is made during the order. Whether in person or on the app, you can have your bun prepared in a number of ways — and it's worthwhile to follow this pro tip. Toasted, oiled, grilled, warmed, or even double-toasted, Whataburger buns can upgrade a menu item more than customers might realize at first. During the ordering process, customers can also choose between regular or brioche buns.

Of the possible bun modifications, double-toasting seems to be a top option. Enjoyed by CEO Debbie Stroud herself, it's hard to deny the deliciousness this choice adds to a burger. Not only does double-toasting improve the overall texture of an item, it also makes cheese extra-melty, and keeps Whataburgers warm for longer. "Make sure to always ask for your burger with toasted buns!" exclaims one fan on Reddit. Additionally, some Whataburger employees even suggest these same rules apply to other sandwich and burger essentials, like Texas toast and tortillas.

Here's another fact that only Whataburger employees would know: they aren't all experts on every station. Although cross-training sometimes happens, the franchise's workers are usually placed on only one station, thus strengthening their expertise in that section. Because of this visible division in job duties, employees discuss the pros and cons of each station in online forums. Employees are also responsible for training each other, which could be a possible reason why job duties stay within narrow parameters. Of course, there are exceptions to this pattern. When a location is understaffed, workers are trained on multiple stations to help pick up the slack. Especially eager employees may ask for permission to move around stations and expand their skills.

For employees who want to advance their careers in food service even further, Whataburger University provides additional assistance in reaching these dreams. This uniquely developed curriculum offers specialized classes to staff members who want to work within the chain's restaurants, and on the corporate level. Described as a restaurant career development path, dedicated Whataburger workers have the option to become experts in new areas.

Once workers are hired by Whataburger, they soon find out the chain's preferred term for employees. Warmly referring to staff as Family Members, Whataburger's corporate office luckily practices what they preach. Describing itself as a "brand built on pride, care, and love," the restaurant does a lot to support the communities it serves and employs.

The chain mainly takes care of its staff by offering various forms of financial help. Provided through the Whataburger Family Foundation, Family Members and their dependents are extended emergency aid in times of crisis. To receive this aid, employees follow an application process discreetly through the WhataLife app. The Whataburger Family Foundation covers several types of needs, offering help with medical bills, funeral costs, and more. To provide an example, one Whataburger staff member on Reddit divulged, "they helped me with my rent and utilities when I was on FMLA."

Another smaller yet beneficial perk of working at Whataburger is the employee discount. Employees on Reddit explain their job discounts two meals per visit, allowing their own family members (or friends) to save as well. This uniquely generous benefit further demonstrates how well Whataburger treats its staff.