Harmon Dobson founded Whataburger in 1950 in Corpus Christi, Texas. He started with a portable stand selling burgers for 25 cents and saw great success expanding across Texas. Dobson ran Whataburger as a sole proprietorship and later partnership with his wife Grace. He treated customers and employees like family. By 1993, his son Tom Dobson had become President and CEO, moving the headquarters to San Antonio while keeping the original restaurant open in Corpus Christi.