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P. Terry\u2019s began opening San Antonio stores in 2021. Credit: Courtesy Photo \/ P. Terry’s Burger Stand<\/p>\nP. Terry\u2019s began opening San Antonio stores in 2021. Credit: Courtesy Photo \/ P. Terry’s Burger Stand<\/p>\n
Austin-based burger chain P. Terry\u2019s is shifting<\/a> to an Employee Ownership Trust, or EOT, and rolling out profit sharing, in a move its leaders say will improve worker retention and support plans to expand beyond its five existing stores in San Antonio.<\/p>\n The EOT structure \u2014 rare in the United States \u2014 makes employees beneficiaries of a trust with a controlling stake in the company\u2019s shares. Kathy Terry, co-owner of the 35-unit chain, told the Current the new structure allows it to avoid selling to private equity firms or outside buyers \u2014\u00a0moves she worries would hurt its employee-first culture.<\/p>\n \u201cWe knew someone else probably wouldn\u2019t be making birthday cakes or offering interest-free loans [to employees],\u201d she said, referencing longstanding internal policies. \u201cThe trust lets us protect the business and the people who make P. Terry\u2019s what it is.\u201d<\/p>\n In addition to providing interest-free loans to workers, the company pays above-industry wages, which makes it stand out against restaurant-industry peers.<\/p>\n Alongside the EOT, P. Terry\u2019s is launching a profit-sharing program. Five percent of the company\u2019s earnings will benefit employees who have been on the payroll for more than two years. The goal is to scale that share to 20% over the next four to five years.\u00a0<\/p>\n Patrick and Kathy Terry founded P. Terry\u2019s in 2005 as a single 527-square-foot burger stand and have since grown the business into a Central Texas institution. The couple emphasized that the new business model formalizes values they have held since the beginning.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve always been focused on our employees from day one,\u201d Patrick Terry said. \u201cWe\u2019re always looking for ways to take care of the people who help make P. Terry\u2019s great.\u201d<\/p>\n in July 2021<\/a>, San Antonio was the first city to welcome a P. Terry\u2019s location outside of Austin. The chain now operates five locations in the area, including a 24-hour location on Broadway. The Terrys said business in the Alamo City has stayed strong, adding that they expect to add locations to open soon.<\/p>\n The didn\u2019t offer a timetable of say how many restaurants they might add here. However, the co-founders said the workforce has been especially strong.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe people who work at the P. Terry\u2019s in San Antonio are really above average,\u201d Patrick said. \u201cIt\u2019s an amazing group.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n P. Terry\u2019s also will continue its quarterly Giving Back Day, during which one Saturday\u2019s profits go to a local nonprofit. Kathy Terry, who oversees the initiative, said the program has deepened the company\u2019s ties to the San Antonio community.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s been such a great opportunity to meet the local heroes doing life-saving work,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019m learning what the needs are in San Antonio and who\u2019s out there meeting them.\u201d<\/p>\n While it will take time to see how the Employee Ownership Trust and profit-sharing model will reshape the company, the Terrys said the changes mark a structural bet on stability and culture \u2014\u00a0one that positions P. Terry\u2019s to be watched closely as more businesses explore alternatives to traditional ownership.\u00a0<\/p>\n Sign Up for SA Current newsletters.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Follow us:\u00a0Apple News<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Google News<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0NewsBreak<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Reddit<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Instagram<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Facebook\u00a0<\/a>| Twitter<\/a>\u00a0| Or sign up for our\u00a0RSS Feed<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Related Stories<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\tThe worker-focused concept expanded to San Antonio in 2021, opening its first restaurants outside its Austin home base.\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t![\"Burger](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1782855741_594_qm1a7943_copy-2.png\")
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\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Dallas](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1782855743_138_SixtyVines_KaylaEnright_GingersnapOldFashion-1.jpg\")
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