Whataburger’s Fancy and Spicy Ketchup Celebrate Five Years in H-E-B: A Match Made in Texas
May 22, 2018 --
Five years ago, two Texas brands made sauce history.
That’s when H-E-B and Whataburger began a partnership to offer the orange-and-white restaurant’s iconic Fancy Ketchup, Spicy Ketchup and Original Mustard in H-E-B stores and Central Market locations.
“As two born-and-raised Texas brands, we always knew H-E-B and Whataburger go together like fries and ketchup, but even so we couldn’t believe the response from customers,” said Mark Bradshaw, H-E-B Business Development Manager. “We’re honored to celebrate a successful five-year partnership between two iconic Texas institutions and look forward to working together on more delicious products in the future.”
Since then, Whataburger has added more Signature Sauces and other retail products to H-E-B shelves, including Honey Butter, Whataburger Breakfast Sausage and Original Pancake Mix. In all, H-E-B sells more than 20 Whataburger-brand products, but it was Original Mustard, Fancy and Spicy Ketchup that started it all.
“Our customers really wanted to buy our ketchup in bottles – so much so that Fancy Ketchup even had its own Facebook fan page – and this partnership makes it possible for our customers to stock up in the grocery aisle,” said Whataburger Vice President of Retail Mike Sobel. “It’s really fun to think back on this announcement five years ago, and also to think about the possibilities between H-E-B and Whataburger that could lay ahead.”
To mark the anniversary and thank fans for their devotion, Whataburger and H-E-B created an epic cake.
Hungry for more? Check out these fun facts about Fancy and Spicy Ketchup:
- In 2009, a Whataburger Ketchup fan page emerged on Facebook, developed by fans. The page still exists today.
- In 2012, Whataburger held a contest to give away the last case of its then limited-edition Spicy Ketchup before bringing it back in 2013 in H-E-B stores
- Since 2013, H-E-B has sold enough Whataburger Ketchup to fill more than 2,800 pickup truck beds.
- In 2013, Whataburger Fancy and Spicy Ketchup became H-E-B’s first Primo Picks, one-of-a-kind products found at H-E-B.
- In 2015, Whataburger celebrated Fancy Ketchup cups’ 30-year anniversary in restaurants with a #FancySKETCHUP contest where they sketched fans’ portraits using ketchup
Whataburger serves up Goodness 24/7 with a made-to-order, customizable menu of burgers and other favorites delivered just like you like it. Born in Texas and headquartered in San Antonio, we’re celebrating 76 flavorful years of big bites, bold flavors, and even bigger fan love. We’ve grown to over 1,100 restaurants across 17 states, with original-recipe products now found in grocery aisles across the country. Our secret sauce (besides that Fancy Ketchup) is our Family Members - real people serving up real hospitality and meaningful connections in the communities we call home. We’ve landed on Fast Company’s Brands that Matter list, USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards, and Newsweek’s America’s Best of the Best. To learn more, shop the Whatastore, or find your nearest location, visit Whataburger.com - or download our app on iOS or Android. Hungry for more? Discover what keeps fans coming back by diving into real stories from Whataburger super fans at stories.whataburger.com.