“They’re helping me out of the goodness of their hearts”
Whataburger Family gathers to finish repairs for their “work mom”
When Family Members at the Whataburger in Burleson, Texas, learned Jo Wright — their “work mom” — needed help around her house, they rolled up their sleeves and got busy.
Hair pulled back and tools in hand, a half-dozen Whataburger Family Members got together on a hot summer afternoon to paint, patch — and even put on a new roof. They kept going back until the work was done.
“Jo is a wonderful person, and she doesn’t deserve to have to worry about her home,” says Assistant General Manager Amber McKinney.
Family helping family
McKinney and the rest of the team stepped up after a contractor didn’t complete promised work on Wright’s home – leaving her unsure how to get the work completed on the tight deadline her landlord had imposed.
That’s where her Whataburger family stepped in.
“I was pretty upset,” says Wright, who has worked at Whataburger’s front register and drive-thru for six years. “They asked what was wrong, and they jumped right in and said they would help.” Family Members helped paint, install siding and replace shingles. Some Family Members even chipped in to buy materials.
“It’s a real family,” says Jo of her Whataburger Family. “We work together and help one another.”
Crystal Hughes, General Manager at that restaurant, Unit 358, says her crew is all heart.
“They do special things because they care for each other,” she says. “We love each other.”
Wright is a surrogate mom to many of her Whataburger Family Members. She bakes and decorates cakes for their birthdays and makes them smile.
“Ms. Jo is one of those rare people that makes everyone’s day,” says Hughes “We don’t want her to worry.”
Whataburger has focused on its fresh, made-to-order burgers and friendly customer service since 1950 when Harmon Dobson opened the first Whataburger as a small roadside burger stand in Corpus Christi, Texas. Today, the company is headquartered in San Antonio with more than 900 locations across its 14-state footprint and sales of more than $3 billion annually. Whataburger is a 2022 Top Workplaces winner. The brand has more than 50,000 Family Members (employees) and more than 60 million customers who like to customize their Whataburgers just like they like it. Visit whataburger.com for more information. To apply for Whataburger jobs, visit whataburger.com/careers.