Memories of baseball, then burgers, fries, and shakes

Every time Johnny Luna goes to Whataburger, he sees the framed photo of 10 Little League baseball players sitting on a rail, and it reminds him of his own team in Texas City, Texas, in the late sixties. 

The iconic image was captured just over a decade earlier and a couple hundred miles away in Corpus Christi, Texas, but the nostalgia it stirs up hits close to home—Johnny’s own team in the summer of 1968 was also sponsored by their local Whataburger. 

“Win or lose, our team would drive to Whataburger after every game to celebrate,” Johnny said. 

Whataburger became a place where he and his teammates formed lifelong friendships. 

“Growing up in a small town where everyone knew everyone, those bonds and memories were a cornerstone of my youth,” Johnny said. 

It’s also where he learned to dip his fresh, hot French Fries into a cold, creamy Chocolate Shake—a combo he still enjoys to this day.

Sweetening the stakes, continuing the tradition 

As Johnny entered high school, the ball started moving faster, and Johnny couldn’t see it as well as he used to.  

“Getting hit by that ball was not fun,” Johnny said. “I was like, I think this is my exit ramp right here.” 

So his days of playing competitive baseball came to an end, and he opted instead to play more laid-back softball games with his friends on weekends. 

Johnny and his appetite grew, and the post-game Whataburger tradition continued. He remembers eating triple-meat-and-cheese burgers stacked so high with extra veggies that taking the first bite was a challenge.

These pickup games had a lot riding on them—pride, bragging rights, and trip to the store for a refreshing treat.

“I remember we'd always say, loser has to go get us a 12-pack of Dr Pepper,” he said. 

Johnny’s Whataburger journey came full circle when he worked for the company in the late nineties, managing a few locations in San Antonio, Texas, where he lives now. 

Meanwhile, those sweet memories of his playing days inspired him to share his lifelong love for Whataburger and the beautiful game of baseball with his sons.