P. Terry's

When founder Patrick Terry decided to open a burger stand in 2005, his wife Kathy insisted he read Fast Food Nation, by Eric Schlosser.[1] Inspired by what he read, Terry used the book to guide his business practices as he opened his first location in Austin, Texas at Lamar and Barton Springs and then continued to follow those principles as he and his wife opened thirteen other locations in around Austin.[2] Terry is quoted as saying that Fast Food Nation became the company's bible, "Everything that everyone was doing wrong in that book, we stayed away from.", said Terry, "And the stuff that they were doing right, we aimed toward.".[4] The restaurant chain is known for paying employees on a higher scale compared to larger chain competitors, with an average wage of $11 per hour.[5] All of the chain's restaurants are built in a revival of the Googie architecture style originally popularized in the 1950s and 1960s.[6]

Four times a year P.Terry's donates 100 percent of a day's profits to charity.[7] Among the charitable causes supported by the restaurant are Foundation for the Homeless,[8] Dell's Children's Medical Center,[9] Strong Start and HeartGift Foundation.[10] As of December 2019, P. Terry's has donated more than $1,000,000[11] to hundreds of Austin-area organizations.[12]