Whataburger Logo PNG
Growth and development are expressed in the emblem with the help of special symbols, rushing up and in breadth. The Whataburger logo also hints at the layered nature of the burgers sold online. The dish is an excellent choice for friendly gatherings and communication.
Whataburger: Brand overview
| Founded: | August 8, 1950 |
| Founder: | Harmon Dobson, Paul Burton |
| Headquarters: |
San Antonio, Texas, U.S. |
| Website: | whataburger.com |
Whataburger is one of the biggest burger joints in the U.S., although it is behind market giants such as Burger King or McDonald’s profitability. It is a family business founded in 1950. Harmon Dobson and Paul Burton. Now its chain covers several counties in the U.S. in the Southwest and Southeast. It includes more than 800 fast-food outlets serving several types of burgers, sandwiches, fries, hotcakes, chicken strips, and desserts.
To create Whataburger, Harmon Dobson had to give up the oil business. It wasn’t hard to do because his partner went on a binge and nearly caused the confiscation of several thousand dollars invested in drilling. The entrepreneur, who already had experience developing a family farm, building an oil refinery, reselling used cars, and mining diamonds, did not wait for his new business to become unprofitable. He took the money out of there right away and set about financing Paul Burton, a keen hamburger fan. Together they opened a restaurant and called it “Whataburger,” as if to voice the enthusiastic exclamation of customers, “What a burger!” and to foresee the successful fate of the future chain.
Meaning and History
Dobson wanted his burger shop to be the best, so he tried in every way to make it stand out from the competition. He decorated the gable with a striped “W” in orange and white back in the early years. This combination and order of colors were chosen on purpose. The restaurant owner had once built radio masts, and they are mostly painted in white and orange stripes – it makes it easier for pilots to see an obstacle. He hoped his “W” would be as visible to customers as radio towers are to airplane drivers.
Later, the logo received wings and became the main element of the logo, which has been used since 1972. Within ten years, Whataburger realized that its logo was very similar to the character Wonder Woman, created by DC Comics. The management of the restaurants decided not to raise the scandal. However, the Flying W burger was introduced earlier than a similar visual sign of the superheroine, so their diplomacy is enviable. The similarity of the two logos only bothered Whataburger in 2016, when DC Comics set out to sell Wonder Woman branded food products.
What is Whataburger?
Whataburger is a popular Texas burger joint that started in 1950. It became famous for its unique burgers with triple meat, jalapeno, cheese, and other toppings. Her menu includes onion rings, french fries, meatballs, and chicken sandwiches. Breakfast offers light options, including pancakes, biscuits, and taquitos. In addition, the restaurant chain is known for its A-shaped building design and orange logo with a stylized ‘W.’
1950 – 1968
This logo is dedicated to the very first Whataburger outlet. It was opened in 1950 in Corpus Christi on the south coast of Texas. Harmon A. Dobson cooked hamburgers and fried fries in a small wooden building and poured soft drinks. Customers left their cars nearby and went to the window to buy fast food. Drivers passing by were attracted by a neon sign with the brand’s name shining brightly on the roof.
But the Whataburger logo is one of many outlets that have been preserved in archival photographs. The exterior of the building is more modern: it was no longer the portable kiosk from Corpus Christi in 1950. The picture shows a large structure with two windows (one closed), an entrance door, a terrace, an urn, a flat roof, and a huge black sign. The white word “WHATABURGER” is written in a strict bold sans-serif font.
1968 – 1972
In 1961, Harmon A. Dobson improved the Whataburger architecture by building the first A-frame. To make the new restaurant visible from afar, he made the roof striped. First, two steel tubes were attached to the pediment at the top of the makeshift “A” to mimic the sides of the “W.” This building version is depicted in the presented logo.
As you can see in the picture, a long covered terrace with five triangular notches on the roof is attached to the A-shaped structure. The name of the restaurant is written on two signs. The first is at the highest point of the frame and is divided into squares so that each letter is placed in its separate quadrangle. The second sign adorns the entrance part of the terrace and has the shape of a rhombus.
In addition, the logo is complemented by another word, “WHATABURGER,” in the upper right corner. It is decorated with a handwritten font that imitates the inscription with a wide brush. A little lower is the italic phrase “DRIVE INNS,” indicating that the restaurant caters to drivers. Beneath the emblem is the phrase “THERE’S ONE NEAR YOU” with the word “YOU” underlined. The entire line is typed in capital letters but in small letters, slanted to the right.
1972 – today
By 1972, the chain had expanded to 100 restaurants. By that time, Whataburger had a corporate symbol called “Flying W.” It consists of five orange stripes curved into a “W” shape. Their lateral parts are expanded and aligned horizontally. All lines are located one under the other, but they are not the same. The name of the restaurant chain is written at the very bottom. All elements, including letters, are presented in the corporate orange color.
Font and Colors
The big “W” was chosen for several reasons:
- It is the first letter of the restaurant chain’s name, making it easy to identify the brand.
- It became recognizable due to its multi-component structure: the Flying W contains five parallel lines with extensions at the ends.
- The burger chain has never experimented with an emblem, which automatically puts it in the category of iconic.
Under the stylized letter with “wings” is the word “WHATABURGER.” The designers chose a sans serif typeface. The bold, jagged lines make it look like it was drawn, as the strokes are similar to brush strokes. The free Whatafont Regular typeface from Iconian Fonts was designed based on it.
Because Harmon Dobson wanted his logo to be as prominent as the radio masts, he used two alternating colors for the W-shaped symbol: white and orange. The restaurant chain’s name is also orange and has a similar shade of #FF770F.
Whataburger color codes
| Pumpkin | Hex color: | #ff770f |
|---|---|---|
| RGB: | 225 119 15 | |
| CMYK: | 0 53 94 0 | |
| Pantone: | PMS Bright Orange C |
What does the logo symbolize Whataburger Logo?
The Whataburger logo symbolizes the letter ‘W,’ and the orange represents friendliness. At the same time, orange and white stripes have a long history. Company founder Harmon Dobson used to build radio towers painted in alternating colors of white and orange. Such a palette was required in order to make it easier for pilots to notice these objects in the air. After opening a chain of burgers, Dobson decided to use the familiar design as a symbol to attract attention.
Why does Whataburger look like Wonder Woman?
The Whataburger and Wonder Woman logos are similar because both contain a stylized ‘W’ with massive diagonal lines. The restaurant chain had the Flying W much earlier (in 1972), and the comic book character’s emblem only received this design in 2016.
What does the Whataburger logo mean?
The Flying W on the Whataburger logo represents nothing more than the letter ‘W.’ The choice of alternating colors is because Harmon Dobson, who founded the company, wanted to make the restaurants more visible. He decided to add more orange-and-white stripes to the emblem because these were the design elements he used when creating radio masts so that pilots would notice them at high altitudes.
Why is Whataburger called Whataburger?
A few decades ago, Harmon Dobson decided to finance the business of the entrepreneur Paul Burton, who was very fond of hamburgers. Together they named the first restaurant Whataburger because they wanted their customers to shout, ‘What a burger!’ To do this, all the burgers on the menu had to be large and very tasty. Since then, the name has not changed and is continuously used in the logo.
What is the Whataburger slogan?
In 1979, Joe Andrews, Sr., came up with one of the company’s most famous slogans for Whataburger: ‘We build a bigger, better burger.’ A simple but precise phrase was timed to coincide with the restaurant chain’s expansion. And in 2001, the brand began using the slogan ‘Just Like You Like It’ but did not include it in its logo.
