San Antonio — Whataburger has hired Jessica Reicher as executive vice president and chief operating officer. She brings more than 30 years of diverse restaurant leadership experience, with a proven track record of operational excellence, brand growth and people-first leadership.
Most recently, Reicher served as president of Arby’s at Flynn Group, where she led over 360 locations across 10 states. Under her leadership, Flynn Arby’s consistently ranks at the top of the system on national benchmarks in sales and customer satisfaction. Her people development strategy resulted in industry-leading turnover improvements, and the team was recognized with Arby’s Franchisee of the Year Award in 2021.
Reicher’s career began at Red Robin, where she rose from hourly team member to regional operations director. She later held senior leadership roles at Fuddruckers, Pizza Hut International and Taco Bell, where she led restaurant excellence and integration for over 7,200 restaurants.
Now, joining Whataburger during its 75th anniversary year, Reicher will lead all corporate and franchise restaurant operations and restaurant services, overseeing operational strategy, execution and team development across Whataburger’s growing footprint.
Reicher will join Whataburger on Sept. 16, 2025. She will be based in San Antonio at the home office.
“Jessica’s proven experience and positive impact on workplace culture make her an ideal fit for our brand as we continue to expand,” says Debbie Stroud, CEO of Whataburger. “As COO she will sharpen our operational excellence, enhance the Whataburger guest experience at every touchpoint and invest in developing our family members (employees) — fueling our tradition of quality, care and hospitality that’s been at the heart of Whataburger since 1950.”
Born in Texas and headquartered in San Antonio, Whataburger is celebrating 75 years in 2025. The brand has grown to over 1,100 restaurants across 17 states. For more information, visit www.Whataburger.com.
SOURCE: Whataburger