Whataburger’s Lufkin Legend Celebrates 40 Years Of Growth

When it comes to brands and businesses that got their start in Texas, Whataburger is almost always mentioned as one of the most popular. Anyone from the Lone Star State will proudly and boldly put a Whataburger against any other comers from across the nation.

40 years ago, Lufkin's Glenn Johnson bought his first Whataburger store. Four decades later, there are 28 units across East Texas and Louisiana in the GVCS Inc. portfolio.

“So much has changed over 40 years,” Johnson says. “There’s technology, strategy, people, and expectations. But one thing that has not and will never be changed is the Whataburger!”

Tuesday, June 17, at 10 a.m., Johnson and GVCS will celebrate his 40th anniversary at the unit where it all started—421 N. Timberland Drive in Lufkin.

It’s an original A-frame, the signature architectural feature of the early Whataburger restaurants, that remains over the kitchen. A smaller A-frame tops the dining room entrance on Timberland.

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Johnson started in Houston, making deliveries to Whataburger restaurants for Mrs. Baird’s Bread. Whataburger hired him to work in a corporate-owned store where he learned the Whataburger way of doing business.

“I learned that the restaurant business can be hard, but if you stick with it, it can be very rewarding,” Johnson says.

He says he took a chance when he bought the franchise in Lufkin. He moved his entire family to the “Gateway of East Texas” and never looked back.

While starting in East Texas, much of the recent expansion has been focused on the Cajun Country of Central Louisiana. Last month, GVCS opened its 28th unit in Eunice, Louisiana.

“Other franchisees surrounded us to the north, west, and south, so naturally it meant we needed to head east,” Johnson says. “We have loved learning about and being part of Louisiana culture.”

After 40 years, he says he’s proud to have served so many loyal guests and to have represented the brand for so long. “I have always tried to stay positive and stay productive at all times, which always leads to success,” Johnson says. “Whataburger has provided me a career path that I truly loved that allowed me to provide for my family and share with our son, who has continued the legacy.”