Winslows invited to Whataburger VIP event as one of the company’s top 10 fans
Gainesville resident Ruby Winslow, center, is pictured here with Whataburger CEO Ed Nelson, left, and her husband Butch. Ruby was recently honored as a VIP of the company and was treated to an all-expenses paid trip to the company’s headquarters in San Antonio, Texas, where they celebrated the signing of a National Whataburger Day proclamation, naming Aug. 8 National Whataburger Day.
Ruby Winslow was filmed giving an in-person interview at the Whataburger headquarters about her love as a dedicated fan of the company. Ruby said the company is very nostalgic for her and reminds her of her childhood when she used to ride her horse through the drive-thru of the first Whataburger location.
As part of the Whataburger VIP event Aug. 8, Ruby and Butch Winslow were treated to an all-expenses paid trip to San Antonio, Texas, where the company rolled out a literal orange carpet for Ruby and the 9 other Whataburger VIP customer fans, along with 20 VIP Whataburger employees. When the honorees arrived, the company’s staff and other employees lined the carpets, cheering them on. “It made you feel like a celebrity,” Ruby told the Times.
There is no denying the fact that Gainesville resident Ruby Winslow is a huge Whataburger fan - and the company apparently agrees.
Ruby told the Times she was shocked when she was recently contacted by a Whataburger official who asked her to be one of the company’s VIPs, a prestigious designation only extended to 10 of the biggest fans across the country. As a self-professed Whataburger-nut, she excitedly accepted the honor, which included a trip for her and husband Butch to the Whataburger headquarters in San Antonio, Texas, where they rolled out the orange carpet for the fans, giving them a tour of the headquarters and the advertising production office where the company’s commercials are produced. As part of the honor, Ruby and the other VIPs were interviewed about their love for the company.
“I told them I was 5 when I ate at Whataburger #1. I grew up in the Rio Grand Valley in south Texas. We rode horses all over, so we rode through the drive-thru at Whataburger. We were too young to drive,” Ruby said. “I also talked about Texas being dedicated to their history and traditions. At Whataburger, they are dedicated to keeping Harmon Dobson’s Whataburger tradition alive.”
The first Whataburger restaurant was opened on Aug. 8, 1950, in Corpus Christi by original owner Harmon Dobson. It was that same day, Aug. 8 of this year, that Ruby toured the headquarters of her favorite restaurant and was there for the celebration of the designation of National Whataburger Day on Aug. 8.
After her interview, the company rolled out special VIP packages featuring a Yeti carry-bag cooler filled with Whataburger memorabilia.
Winslow, who served as Timber Knob VFD fire chief for many years prior to her retirement of the position in 2022, said that during the trip she was touched to hear how the company reacted to tornado damage in Oklahoma.
“...they warned the Whataburger [restaurant employees] there that they had 15 minutes before the storm, that’s when fire department and police warnings came out. They were locked down and in a safe room. When it was over, they had little damage. So they cranked up the generators and fed the workers who were cleaning up the debris,” Ruby explained.
The Whataburger corporate office donated $72,000 to Feeding Students Success, a Georgia-based charity dedicated to helping children pay for their school meals.
“It was an honor to be one of the 10 VIP Whataburger fans invited,” Ruby said. “How they got my name, I’ll never know, but it was a trip of a lifetime.”
There are currently over 950 Whataburger locations in 14 states. Ruby says she has currently eaten at just under 400 of the locations and always looking for new ones to add to the list.