When Texans aren’t raging about how much they love Whataburger, they’re often complaining about how long it takes. I remember first going to Whataburger years ago after moving to Texas from Washington state, and waiting around 25 minutes for the food. Perhaps it’s a good way to haze newcomers.
Little did I know. Gaze across the endless fields of complaints that is the internet, and you’ll find countless locals wondering very publicly why their damn food is taking so long. “Why is Whataburger soooo slow?” wonders one Reddit post. “Why does Whataburger take forever?” asks another.
According to new Whataburger CEO Debbie Stroud, they’re aware of it. Stroud joined the Texas-based burger joint in 2023 as COO after spending 27 years with McDonald’s and five with Starbucks, becoming CEO last year. In a recent interview with NRN, she confirmed the speed issues customers are regularly wondering about. The answer? They’re working on it.
“So first of all, when you cook made to order, it takes a little bit longer, and the consumers certainly say they want their orders to be accurate and efficient and timely,” Stroud said. “We’re implementing a new kitchen flow with new equipment that helps us deliver the exact same quality fresh beef cooked to order, but in a faster setting.”
The point about the burger being made to order is often hurled back in response to the people complaining above. “Cause fresh,” simply responded one person on Reddit. “It’s made to order, so yeah. That’s one of the main reasons people like Whataburger,” remarked another.
Still, despite that totally understandable reason, many acknowledge that even with its made to order distinction, Whataburger can still take a bit of time. Some customers find themselves trapped in the single-lane drive-thru for so long they think about abandoning their car like Michael Douglas in Falling Down. You’d think a burger joint that only puts mustard on their burgers instead of ketchup and mayo would operate a little faster.
But it’s obviously not that bad, and often the waits are the result of a particular franchise owner not doing the greatest job, which tends to unfairly cast aspersions on those who run smoothly. Suffice to say, Whataburger hears you, Texas, and they’re on top of it.
According to Stroud, they’re aware of a few other things as well. “We also know the customers are eating more chicken, so the innovation around our chicken platform is real,” she said.
And those beloved old A-Frame Whataburgers? Expect more of that as well. “Listening to our customers, one of the things that we heard again and again was they missed the A-frame … We have a prototype that will start building in 2027 that brings back a bit of that A-frame warmth and iconic branding.”
So there you have it. Shorter wait times, more chicken and A-Frames. Sounds like a good plan. We’ll all be waiting for it.