We love our locally owned businesses in East Texas. It's the perfect way to support our hard working neighbors. We also like our variety in East Texas. That means that visiting a national chain is also okay to do. There are many national chains that East Texan's want to come to the area to shop or dine at.

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Whataburger Versus In-N-Out Burger

Whataburger isn't an East Texas owned business. It is a Texas based restaurant chain, however, which basically means it's locally owned. We love Whataburger. For years there has always been the debate of which regionally based chain is better, Whataburger or California based In-N-Out Burger. I had never tried In-N-Out Burger until a little over a year ago when I was in Frisco.

Michael Gibson / Townsquare Media
Michael Gibson / Townsquare Media
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Michael Gibson / Townsquare Media
Michael Gibson / Townsquare Media
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Is it better than Whataburger? No. Is it a bad burger? Also no. Now that I've had the opportunity to try In-N-Out Burger, I wouldn't mind having one come to East Texas.

East Texans and National Chains

Many East Texans feel this way about other national chains, whether they are a restaurant or a retail store. This question gets asked all the time which means we have a pretty good list of chains that East Texans would love to see in the area.

Supporting Local Businesses

I know many are dead set on supporting a local shop or a local restaurant and that's perfectly understandable and perfectly okay. But shopping or eating at a national chain does not take away from supporting a local vendor. To be honest, a local entrepreneur can look for inspiration in these national chains to come up with a business that can compete, or even improve on, the concept.

To wrap things up, support our fellow East Texans that work fifteen hours a day keeping the doors open on their business. But don't feel bad if you stop at Outback Steakhouse one night for a dinner or walk into Walmart to pick up a new TV.

Keep Looking: National Chains that East Texans Want in the Area

We love our East Texas owned businesses. But there's nothing wrong with enjoying a national chain, either.

Reality Show that Best Matches an East Texas City

We decided to have a little fun and match several East Texas cities with a reality show that best encapsulates that town. Have a sense of humor with some of the matches, please.

Whataburger #80 in Mesquite

This Whataburger is just over 50 years old and sits in a historic part of Mesquite.

This story was edited February 2023.

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