Feb. 10, 2022 — Fun and games is serious business at Whataburger, where the very best teams from across the country compete for medals  – and big money – at the company’s WhataGames biennial event, hosted in Houston March 24-26, 2022.

WhataGames tests the skills of Whataburger’s Operating Partners and their teams as they run a restaurant, serve up bold flavors and offer extraordinary customer service. More than 850 teams started the competition last summer. They spent hours studying Whataburger hospitality, procedures and culture, mastering rapid drive-thru service and building high team morale. Sixteen finalist teams prevailed this week to earn a spot in the championship games.

These finalist teams from across the country – along with maintenance teams that support the brand – are in for two full days of hard-core competition in March. Victors will earn some serious cash and medal bling. Members of the first-place winning team each take home $5,000 cash, and second-and third-place team winners each pocket $2,500 and $1,000 respectively. Smaller cash prizes are awarded to every Family Member working in winning restaurants.

The 2022 WhataGames Finalist Teams are:

• Brenham, Texas
  • Led by Operating Partner Amy Taylor, NCG Enterprises (Unit 628, Hwy. 36)

• Crestview, Florida 
  • Led by Operating Partner Teresa Gardner (Unit 779, Hwy. 85 and I10)

• Copperas Cove, Texas
  • Led by Operating Partner Liza Wells (Unit 1044, Hwy. 190 and Robert Griffin II)

• Edna, Texas 
  • Led by Operating Partner Kaleb Scott (Unit 428, Hwy. 59)

• El Paso, Texas
  • Led by Operating Partner Gerardo Hernandez (Unit 447, Dyer and Tompkins)

• Greensville, Texas
  • Led by Operating Partner Keri Nelson  (Unit 343, Hwy. 34 and Terrell Rd., Whataburger of Mesquite)

• Houston, Texas 
  • Led by Operating Partner Israt Kabir (Unit 263, Chimney Rock and Val Verde) 
  • Led by Operating Partner Maryam Steady (Unit 472, Homma and Hwy. 6)

• Kingsville, Texas
  • Led by Operating Partner Andres Cano (Unit 4, Huisache and S 14th)

• La Grange, Texas
  • Led by Operating Partner Amy Zamora, NCG Enterprises (Unit 747, Hwy. 71)

• Lubbock, Texas
  • Led by  Operating Partner William Weihe (Unit 125, 50th and Utica) 

• Mansfield, Texas
  • Led by Operating Partner Marolyn McCarty (Unit 1016, Hwy. 360 and Broad, Mansfield, Texas)

• Portland, Texas
  • Led by Operating Partner Stephanie Grant (Unit 91, Hwy. 181)

• San Antonio, Texas 
  • Led by Operating Partner Jordan Raye (Unit 710, Seguin and Walzem)
  • Led by Operating Partner Allen Mishler (Unit 1026, Pat Booker and Northview)

• Socorro, Texas
  • Led by Operating Partner Lino Rocha (Unit 1077, FM 20)

“You won’t find anything like WhataGames anywhere else in the industry. It’s an investment in training and a celebration that showcases the talent of our restaurant Family Members,” said Ed Nelson, CEO and President of Whataburger. “Whether it’s serving up hot, fresh burgers, mastering curve-ball custom orders, or challenging our maintenance finalists to find and fix equipment issues, WhataGames finalists put their passion and expertise to the test to determine who truly is the best in the business.”

In Kingsville, Whataburger’s Andres Cano has made the trip to the finals four times, but this will be his first time as an Operating Partner and leading from Unit 4.

“When I started working at Whataburger, I was in high school,” said Cano. “I thought it was going to be a part-time job, and then I’d be off to college. Then, I went to WhataGames and that opened my eyes to the possibilities at Whataburger. It’s a company unlike any other, so here I am, 20 years later.”

Whataburger will roll out the orange carpet for WhataGames finalists on March 24 at the George R. Brown Convention Center and wrap up the games on March 26 with a  spectacular seated dinner and awards ceremony, with one team of winners taking home the grand prize. 

Along with flexible hours, competitive weekly pay, scholarships for Family Members, great food, and being part of the communities they serve, Whataburger offers exciting careers. Through Whataburger’s leadership development and career path opportunities, including exciting programs like WhataGames, Family Members can learn to run multi-million-dollar restaurants and earn six figure salaries across its growing 14-state footprint.