Sixteen Whataburger units in Florida, Mississippi and Texas have been named as finalists in the company’s WhataGames competition designed to test the skills of team members in operations, corporate history and customer service.
The finalists beat out their competitors at more than 700 Whataburger units in 10 states. They will travel to Grapevine, Texas, April 3-5 for a competition with $140,000 in prizes on the line.
The WhataGames gold medal winning team will win $5,000 each as well as $500 each for their fellow restaurant team members that didn't make the trip. Silver medal team members each win $2,500 and $250 for their restaurant team members and bronze team members each win $1,000 and $100 for their restaurant team members.
The Whataburger restaurant teams are comprised of 10 members: one general manager, one manager, two team leaders and six team members. For the competition, the groups study their operations manuals, practice their burger-creating and frying skills, and memorize Whataburger history, facts and procedures. Through a process of elimination involving mystery shoppers, independent restaurant audits and pop quizzes, the finalists were chosen.
At the finals, teams will compete in three different competitions: WhataYaKnow, a Jeopardy-like game; Texas Hot Hold 'Em, a card game related to Whataburger procedures; and What's Cookin', a simulated 30-minute lunch rush at a Whataburger restaurant.
This year, for the first time, Whataburger team members also will be tested on their customer service in a competition called "March Gladness." Throughout the month of March, service audit teams will conduct “mystery visits” at each of the individual finalists' restaurants to ensure teams are following the Whataburger trademark of “serving customers with the extra smile.”
Along with the 16 WhataGames restaurant finalist teams, seven teams from the company's maintenance staff will be competing to prove who can best maintain equipment such as fryers, grills and drive-thru speakers. Three technicians from each of Whataburger's seven regions will compose the teams, which compete in their own competition for the same level of prizes as the restaurant teams.
WhataGames finals are the featured event during the Whataburger Family Convention, held concurrently at the Gaylord Texas in Grapevine. The games were created in 1996 as a training exercise for operations.
This year, the 61-year old chain's "Biggest Fans," chosen from more than 3,000 entries during Whataburger's "Tell Us Why You're Our Biggest Fan" online contest, will be recognized at the convention.
Fans will be awarded a prize package worth more than $10,000 and will travel to the Gaylord Texan for an all-expense paid visit. Seven "Biggest Fans" were named in October.
