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HOUSTON – Whataburger's menu goes far beyond burgers.
But customer Marcela Lopez keeps simplicity.
"A Whataburger classic, I can not go wrong," said Lopez.
She hopes that a big buyout of the classic Texas chain will not bring big changes.
"I hope they will keep the Texas values because it's like a staple in Texas and I hope it stays pretty much the same," Lopez said.
A Chicago company, BDT Capital Partners, has agreed to acquire a majority stake in Whataburger from the family that founded it in the 1950s.
The family will remain a minority and the Whataburger headquarters will remain in San Antonio.
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"I'm not surprised by this deal," said Barbara Stewart of the Retail and Consumer Sciences Department at the University of Houston. "It's a great product, an excellent service, an excellent reputation, and an expansion sometimes takes extra capital."
Whataburger did not reveal the terms of the agreement or specific plans for expansion.
However, Stewart thinks it will be successful as long as he does not forget his Texan roots.
"I think Whataburger's clientele is pretty strong and fairly loyal," said Stewart. "And, to the extent that they do not make a lot of changes quickly, I think they'll keep that base."
At this point, longtime client Armando Avila told us that he did not intend to stop coming at least twice a week.
"I'm pretty sure it will be the same, hopefully," said Avila.
A member of the founder's family, who will remain on the board, said the decision to sell the company was "exciting and bitter-sweet".
Read more about Whataburger here.
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