Whataburger CEO Debbie Stroud on the benefits of leading like a family
Take-Away with Sam Oches
Nation's Restaurant News
4.9 • 17 Ratings
🗓️ 19 May 2026
⏱️ 57 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Debbie Stroud, CEO of Whataburger, a 76-year-old company that now has more than 1,000 locations across 17 states. Debbie spent more than 30 years as an executive at McDonald’s and Starbucks before joining Whataburger in 2023 as COO. She was named CEO in 2025, and she’s earned a reputation as a warm and personable leader who is often found in restaurants listening to team members about how the company can improve. That’s a great fit for Whataburger, which is still partially owned by its founding family and which calls its 50,000-plus team members “family members.” Sam recently sat down with Debbie in a brand-new location outside Raleigh, NC, for an episode of the Signature Series, powered by The Coca-Cola Company, and talked about how she’s setting the tone for a family-like company culture — and about how Whataburger is tapping into its rabid fan base to expand its footprint.
In this conversation, you’ll find out why:
- An aligned team empowered to do the work can accomplish great things
- Leaders create the conditions for success
- Data tells a story — and it should guide your decision making
- Brands should embrace the authentic relationship their guests have with them
- Curiosity plus diversified experience makes for a strong future leader
Have feedback or ideas for Take-Away? Email Sam at sam.oches@informa.com.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Welcome to Takeaway with Sam Ocas, a podcast for leaders of growing restaurant companies looking to take their businesses to the next level. |
| 0:08.3 | In nearly two decades covering restaurants, I've gained access to some of this industry's most influential decision makers, and I'm letting you in on the conversations. |
| 0:16.4 | In today's episode, you'll hear from the CEO of one of the biggest burger chains in America |
| 0:20.9 | about how leaders can empower their teams to accomplish big goals and about how the family |
| 0:26.7 | mentality that the brand shares with its guests and its employees is at the heart of its |
| 0:31.6 | incredible success. Debbie Stroud is the CEO of Wadde, a 76-year-old company that now has more than 1,000 |
| 0:39.8 | locations across 17 states. Debbie spent more than 30 years as an executive at McDonald's and |
| 0:46.1 | Starbucks before joining Wadaburger in 2023 as C-O-O. She was named CEO in 2025, and she's earned a reputation as a warm and personable leader |
| 0:57.2 | who is often found in restaurants listening to team members about how the company can improve. |
| 1:03.1 | That's a great fit for Waterberger, which is still partially owned by its founding family, |
| 1:07.3 | and which calls its 50,000-plus team members, family members. I recently sat down |
| 1:13.3 | with Debbie in a brand new location outside of Raleigh, North Carolina for an episode of the |
| 1:17.8 | signature series powered by the Coca-Cola Company, and we talked about how she's setting the tone |
| 1:22.8 | for a family-like company culture and about how Waterurger is tapping into its rabid fan base to |
| 1:28.8 | expand its footprint. In this conversation, you will learn more about how an aligned team |
| 1:34.2 | empowered to do the work can accomplish great things, how leaders can create the conditions for |
| 1:40.1 | their team's success, and how brands should embrace the authentic relationships that their guests have with them. |
| 1:46.6 | If you learn something from this episode, go follow takeaway wherever you listen to podcasts and leave some feedback. |
| 1:52.3 | It is the best way to get these lessons into the hands of fellow restaurant leaders. |
| 1:57.2 | Jumping now into my interview with Wadaburger CEO, Debbie Stroud. |
| 2:02.0 | Also, don't forget to stick around after the interview as I will share my five takeaways from this discussion, actionable |
| 2:06.0 | insights that you can take with you on the go. Debbie Stroud, CEO of Wadaburger, thanks for |
... |
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