Since Hurricane Beryl left Houston, Texas, without power for 1.8 million utility customers, the Whataburger app for fast-food restaurants has gone viral. An intense wave is coming to Houston, and temperatures are supposed to arrive in the mid-90s, so many occupants could be without power for a long time.
Creative Solutions Amid Power Outages
Some Houstonians were frustrated with the local utility company CounterPoint Energy, which doesn’t offer an app, so they got creative with tracking the power outages. They turned to the Whataburger app instead.
Unconventional Use of the Whataburger App
The Whataburger app works as a power outage tracker, which is handy since the electric company doesn’t show a map.
Viral Tweet Highlights App’s Utility
According to Newsweek, Whataburger is a San Antonio-based cheap food chain with 127 stores in the Houston region. The app displays a map of the Whataburger locations. An orange logo indicates a store’s opening and a grey logo indicates a store’s closing.
Whataburger’s Response
Well, there’s a use for our app we didn’t think of!” the Whataburger X account replied. “We hope you and everyone else are okay!
Surge in App Downloads
This viral moment has boosted Whataburger’s download numbers. In the iOS App Store, Whataburger is currently ranked 16th in the food and drink category. Just three weeks ago, it was ranked 40th.
Underlying Issues in Texas
Though the Whataburger revelation is funny, the app’s value indicates ongoing issues in Texas where residents feel unsupported in the face of extreme weather. When a severe winter storm struck Texas in 2021, millions of residents were without power in dangerously cold weather. To exacerbate the situation, Congressperson Ted Cruz (R-TX) was spotted traveling to a hotel in Mexico while his state was experiencing a generally deadly power lattice disappointment. So, when Cruz posted on Sunday urging Texans to stay safe amid the hurricane’s landfall, some constituents were frustrated by the hypocrisy and responded in kind on X.
The Role of a Burger App in a Natural Disaster
It’s an infrastructural failure that a burger app has become a crucial resource for Houston residents looking for more information on power outages. The Whataburger app may be able to offer a vague idea of where there’s power. Still, there could be other reasons why a store is closed — after all. Houston is in the immediate aftermath of a natural disaster.
