FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) — When moving from Texas to Indiana, Anthony Piekarski, now a Fort Wayne resident, packed all of the essentials such as clothes and toiletries.
Thanks to Whataburger, the family also hauled four cases of the company’s “Fancy Ketchup” hundreds of miles north.
“If I remember right, there was 200 [packets] in each case, and I would go through three or four every time as I would eat,” Piekarski recalled.
Headquartered in San Antonio, Whataburger has grown to more than 1,100 locations across 17 states since opening 75 years ago. But the nearest location to Fort Wayne is in Tennessee, leaving a patty-sized hole in Piekarski’s stomach and heart after moving to be closer to his wife’s family.
“It always felt like home when I could go there, and being that I’ve been here for almost six years now, I haven’t quite found that place that kind of is similar … I’m still looking for that honestly,” Piekarski said. “Overall, it’s once a week where I’m just like, ‘Man, I wish I could just go down the street at 1 a.m. — I get off work late — and I can go get a nice double cheeseburger.’”
To celebrate the company’s 75th anniversary, Whataburger reached out to Piekarski and offered his family a trip to Corpus Christi, Texas — home of the first Whataburger — for a special trip that included several activities and perks. The trip served as the culmination of a lifelong love for the burger joint.
Growing up in Dallas-Fort Worth area, Whataburger became a mainstay for Piekarski, particularly during his high school years.
“Texas football was so huge down there, so after a football game, the entire team would go to Whataburger afterwards — just kind of a late-night spot, and I as I got older and got into college and stuff, I kind of utilized the 2 a.m., 3 a.m. late-night munchie breakfast kind of thing … it was kind of that place that brought the local community together,” Piekarski said of the restaurant, which is open 24 hours every day of the year except Christmas.
Piekarski, his wife and his three daughters moved to Fort Wayne on Halloween 2019. Before hitting the road, the parents opted to visit Whataburger one last time before starting the newest chapter of their lives.
After chatting with staff members about their plans and asking for some extra ketchup for the road, Piekarski said two employees returned with the four cases of ketchup packets.
“That’s kind of what they do,” Piekarski said. “They aim to please, and they went above and beyond in that respect. We were shocked. We went home and showed my parents.”
The ketchup lasted across countless meals for about one year, with some having to be thrown away after expiring, but Piekarski only ate an actual sandwich from Whataburger three or four times in the years after moving to Fort Wayne.
However, the interaction eventually served as the impetus for his family receiving the trip from Whataburger. In early 2025, the company took to social media asking fans to write about special memories they had involving Whataburger for its 75th anniversary.
When Piekarski submitted the story about moving and the ketchup care package, Whataburger reached out just a couple weeks later.
“I was at Starbucks getting a drink [and] reading this email like, ‘What?’ I was stunned. I couldn’t believe it,” Piekarski said. “So, they called me about three days later, and they were like, ‘Yeah, we’re as real as it gets.’ They had their header on the email and everything.”
In addition to having company representatives and the Whataburger mascot, Whataguy, visit Piekarski in Fort Wayne, they flew him and his family out to Corpus Christi for two days while paying for all travel, lodging and food expenses while also hooking up the group with plenty of merchandise.
“All of our food down there was essentially free if we wanted any Whataburger, which we went a few times that’s for sure,” said Piekarski.
They also attended a baseball game at Whataburger Field, home of the Houston Astros Double-A affiliate, the Corpus Christi Hooks, along with a trip to the beach.
Piekarski’s daughters were all very young and never truly experienced Whataburger before moving to Fort Wayne, so he said being able to show them one of his childhood staples was special.
“It was a core memory for them … they still talk about it,” Piekarski said. “My daughters wear the [Whataburger] backpacks to school all the time.”
He also appreciated the company showing him hospitality and generosity while offering an experience the family will never forget.
“I cherish [Whataburger] even more for being able to do that not just for me, but for my entire family and to make my girls’ summer topped off,” Piekarski said. “It was like, ‘Alright, cherry on top of the summer. Time to go back to school.’”
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