Whataburger has laid off a small percentage of its corporate workforce.
San Antonio-based fast food chain Whataburger slashed a number of white-collar jobs last week as part of its broader restructuring plans for 2023. In total, Whataburger cut roughly 50 corporate employees, or about 0.1% of the company’s 50,000-person workforce, according to a statement from the organization, as reported by San Antonio Business Journal.
Despite the layoffs, Whataburger says that all employees impacted by the job cuts will receive a mix of compensation, transition assistance, and continuing assistance with medical benefits.
“We have built a very caring culture here — so the decision was not easy,” Whataburger President and CEO Ed Nelson said in a statement shared with San Antonio Business Journal.
“It was, however, essential to simplify our corporate structure to support our strategy to grow our restaurants in new and existing markets. We are so appreciative of the great work these Family Members have done for our company, and it was important to us to treat everyone affected with great dignity and care,” Nelson continued.
Whataburger did not immediately indicate if there would be further layoffs in the future.
The popular fast food chain has become a staple of Texas culture since it was founded in Corpus Christi more than half a century ago. Since then, the family-owned fast food chain has expanded its brand presence to more than 900 stores across 10 different states.
In 2019, Whataburger was acquired by the Chicago-based private equity firm BDT Capital Partners, which purchased a majority stake in the fast food chain. The founders of Whataburger, the Dobson family, retained a small stake in the company.
As part of Whataburger’s 2023 corporate restructuring, the company recently hired industry veteran Debbie Stroud as its new executive vice president and chief operating officer (COO).
Stroud’s “experience leading operations in a time of accelerated growth will truly benefit our brand as we continue to grow across 15 states,” Nelson said in a February 10 press release announcing Stroud as COO.