FOOD NEWS
Why Burger King Whoppers In San Antonio Once Had A Different Name
By Aimee Lamoureux
Burger King got its start as "Insta-Burger King" in 1953, and it quickly grew to multiple locations around Florida. The Burger King Corporation was formed soon after, followed by the famous Whopper — though it didn’t come to San Antonio right away.
A local chain called the Whopper Burger opened in the San Antonio area in 1955 and eventually expanded to 20 locations around the area. The chain owned and trademarked the rights to the name "Whopper" for its burgers, which proved to be a problem for Burger King when it wanted to expand into the San Antonio market.
Whopper Burger owner Frank Bates legally banned Burger King from using the Whopper name for their burgers, so the San Antonio Burger King renamed the sandwich to the "Deluxe." When Bates passed away in 1983, Burger King purchased Whopper Burger and changed the name of the "Deluxe" back to its original name.