CORPUS CHRISTI Texas Whataburger Restaurants LP said Friday it was planning to move its headquarters from Corpus Christi to San Antonio, Texas, as early as next year to lower costs and ease travel.
The 700-unit chain said the move would affect about 250 corporate personnel in Corpus Christi, where the privately owned company has been based since its founding 58 years ago. San Antonio is about 150 miles northwest of Corpus Christi.
The company said in a statement that the decision was made after two years of researching the best solution to address the company's growth.
"We feel it's our responsibility to prepare our company for long term stability and growth opportunities," said Preston Atkinson, president and chief operating officer of Whataburger.
"San Antonio offers us cost-efficient office space for our expanding headquarters staff, ease of travel to the 10 states where we currently do business, a skilled technology work force to build our systems for the future and protects us from the impact of hurricanes," Atkinson said.
Whataburger's Corpus Christi office will not immediately close. The company will gradually begin to move people to San Antonio as early as 2009, keeping the Corpus Christi office open indefinitely to accommodate staff as they transition. The company said when that process is complete, it will make a decision on whether to close the Corpus Christi offices.
Tom Dobson, chairman and chief executive of Whataburger, said, "This was a very difficult and emotional decision for us. Corpus Christi, the Dobson family and Whataburger have grown together over the last 58 years and we're immensely grateful for the city of Corpus Christi and the community here that has helped us become who we are today."
Founder Harmon Dobson opened the first Whataburger in Corpus Christi in 1950 as a small roadside stand.