Texas Secretary of State Nandita Berry congratulated Whataburger on the trademark anniversary of its iconic name today. On this date in 1950, the Texas Secretary of State’s office authorized the trademark for the name Whataburger.

“Whataburger is a name that perfectly describes the product and is recognizable to Texans across the state,” Berry said. “I’m proud the first trademark came from our office.”

Whataburger has served its famous Whataburger since1950 when Harmon Dobson opened the first store as a small roadside burger stand in Corpus Christi. Dobson gave his restaurant a name he hoped to hear customers say every time they took a bite of his made-to-order burgers: “What a burger!”

Secretary Berry called CEO Preston Atkinson and Chairman of the Board Tom Dobson and to congratulate them.

“We’re proud Whataburger was founded in Texas,” said Secretary Berry. “We’re prouder still that every day they continue to choose our state as their headquarters. We welcome other makers of fine products, whether it’s burgers or drill bits, tactical fire arms or oil-field technologies, to join us in Texas. As Governor Rick Perry is fond of saying, Texas is open for business.”

Secretary Berry stressed the importance of making establishing a business in Texas as efficient as possible.

“Just as this office helped a new business named Whataburger in 1950, we are still working to help new and growing businesses in Texas today,” said Secretary Berry.

The Office of the Texas Secretary of State is responsible for managing business filings for the state including certificates of formation and trademarks. Last year more than 150,000 new Texas businesses filed with the Secretary of State’s office, a 5.6 percent increase from 2012.

Today, Whataburger is headquartered in San Antonio, with more than 750 locations in 10 states with sales of more than $1 billion annually.

In 2001, the 77th Texas Legislature officially designated Whataburger as a ‘Texas Treasure.'

To learn more about Whataburger visit: http://www.whataburger.com/

To learn more about the Texas Secretary of State visit: http://www.sos.state.tx.us/