The Fascinating Connection Between Whataburger and Campbell's Soup Co.

Whataburger without A-frame
Photo: Houston Historic Retail

Few people cover the retail food industry as well as Houston Historic Retail (HHR) does. A recent post of theirs examines the one-time connection between Campbell's Soup Company and Whataburger. It's a deep dive into a history that anybody interested in either of those companies will enjoy reading, not to mention folks who like Houston history in general. 

Here's an excerpt from HHR's July 21 post, "How Seattle & Campbell’s Soup helped shape the history of Whataburger in Houston":

When selecting Houston as its first out-of-market expansion, it seems that Herfy’s/Campbells were relying on the absence of McDonald’s to help their prospects. This harkens back to Herfy’s hometown of Seattle, which was...free of McDonald’s when Herfy’s was founded. In Houston, McDonald’s was kept out of the city limits until the 1970s by the similarly named McDonald’s Drive-Inn chain. Beyond this general naivety, some more specific issues included the building design. Rather than custom design stores for car-dominant, hot, and humid Houston, Herfy’s reused store layouts from the Northwest. Issues included a lack of drive-thrus, as they were becoming more commonplace at competitor’s restaurants, and outdoor access restrooms, likely making some uncomfortable dining experiences during the dead of summer. [emphasis added]

The post explains why some Whataburgers stores do not have the familiar A-frame design that has become so iconic. 

From 1971-1975 Herfy’s would construct 11 of their planned 25 restaurants in the Houston area. By the end of 1975, looking to expand again in Houston, Whataburger would quietly purchase all 11 Herfy’s locations. The stores would briefly shut down and reopen as somewhat unusual looking for the era Whataburger stores. Of the 11, let’s take a look at a few former Herfy’s. [emphasis added]

Houston Historic Retail presents some great photos of former Herfy's/Campbell's stores that are still Whataburger, sans A-frame. Check out the full article on their website. 

Herfy's seems to be an extinct company, but the name lives on.

During the 90s, the Herfy’s name would begin to reappear on new stores which bore little resemblance to the original chain. Often offering Chinese food in addition to burgers, it seems that these new clones were unauthorized and simply banking on the name for popularity. The original location, still under one of the franchisees from 1963, would finally shut its doors in 2006. As of 2022, many independent Burger stands in the Seattle area continue to use the Herfy’s name, and sometimes even the logo, but otherwise, these new locations have no connection to the old stores. See HHR's post "Herfy's Hamburgers."

Herfy Food Services Co.,
Saudi Arabia

Meanwhile, in Saudi Arabia, there is a burger chain called "Herfy" that's looking to expand internationally. Just a reminder that they're not the same company. Even so, I wish they'd hurry up and open a store in Houston. Their food looks amazing.

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