A P. Terry’s Burger Stand is hard to miss with red and teal elements catching one’s eye as unique and intriguing retro architecture draws one in. The visual intrigue is rewarded with a delicious burger made from fresh local ingredients. Central Texas has been home to the burger stand since Patrick and Kathy Terry opened their first location on July 5, 2005 on the corner of South Lamar and Barton Springs in Austin. Their mission has been to provide guests with all natural food free of hormones and antibiotics at an affordable rate. In those 20 years, the company has expanded to 37 locations now serving San Antonio, Austin, Houston, San Marcos and many other cities throughout Central Texas.
San Marcos has welcomed P. Terry’s since 2019.
“The San Marcos community has been very welcoming and supportive of our brand. From families to college kids, we see a little bit of everyone, and they can’t get enough of our shakes,” Senior Area Manager Megan Castleman said. “We love giving back through Spirit Nights to help support the organizations in our neighborhoods. We’re here to serve, to celebrate, and to be a part of what makes this community special.”
One thing that has stayed constant in P. Terry’s 20 years of operation is their commitment to their employees.
“First and foremost we’re going to take care of our people,” said Patrick Terry Co-Founder of P. Terry’s. During an interview Patrick and Kathy started to point out employees in the office that have been with the team for years, many starting at their storefronts. Their Vice President of Operations has been with the company for 14 years, starting as a store employee working window number one. One of their accountants started at P.Terry’s cleaning the dining room.
“It all comes down to your access to opportunities; by giving [our employees] access to opportunities it allows them to create their own path to their success,” said Kathy Terry, Co-Founder of P. Terry’s.
The goal of P. Terry’s has not just been to serve quality food but to create an environment that feels comfortable and welcoming to both their guests and employees.
“We learned so much working side by side with our employees; we have this amazing respect for them and what they are doing every single day,” Kathy said. “What we love is the purpose and the joy we get out of the business because of the connection we have with our employees.”
Not only are the founders committed to their employees’ success but they understand that their team is what makes people come back again and again.
“When someone comes up to me and says ‘I love P.Terry’s.’ It’s not because of me or Kathy — it’s because of the experience they had at their P. Terry’s and the connection that they have with that location,” Patrick said.
P. Terry’s is also committed to serving their community. When the devastating July 4 floods shook Central Texas, the company hosted a donation day where all profits would be donated to flood relief efforts. Cars were wrapped around the drive thru; so many people came out to support that some P. Terry’s locations were running out of food at the end of the day.
“Everybody came out — San Antonio, Houston, all around Central Texas. The lines sometimes went two miles, and people waited and waited. It was insane. It was incredible. It was beautiful,” Patrick said on a social media post.
P. Terry’s raised $150,000 for the Austin Disaster Relief Network. Giving back is not something new to the company, it’s embedded in their business model. Four different Saturdays throughout the year are dedicated donation days where all profits are donated to charities that serve the community. According to their website, they have donated over $2,254,005 dollars. They’re focused on charities that focus on the underserved in the community, ones that provide the most basic human needs such as food, shelter, health and safety.
Not only does P. Terry’s takes pride in its employees, it takes pride in its product. The central office in Austin not only hosts corporate offices but a culinary kitchen where they bake their cookies, banana bread, and prep their chicken daily to be shipped fresh straight to their stores. The Director of Culinary is Frankie Alvarado who makes sure each item is made with high standards and love.
His commitment to the culinary team was rewarded by the founders who named their new sauce after him. Frankie’s sauce has a sweet honey flavor with a citrus tang.
“We worked side by side for so long with so many people that they really became our family,” Kathy said.
San Marcos residents can visit P. Terry’s seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 1 a.m. at 515 Springtown Way, or at any one of their 37 locations and counting in Central Texas to experience fresh food and friendly service.
“We’re in the human connection business,” Kathy said. “We just happen to sell really good burgers.”
Photo courtesy of P. Terry's
Patrick and Kathy Terry during the early P. Terry's days.
Photo courtesy of P. Terry's
A P. Terry's Double Cheeseburger in all it's glory.
Photo courtesy of P. Terry's
P. Terry's Frankie Sauce is a sweet honey sauce with a hint of citrus, named after P. Terry's Director of Culinary Frankie Alvarado
Photo courtesy of P. Terry's
A stack of P. Terry's burgers including their Double Cheeseburger, the Crispy Chicken Burger and their Chicken Burger.
