Feltner’s Whatta-burger in Russellville closed its doors for the final time on Friday, ending a 58-year run that made the burger spot a fixture across from Arkansas Tech University.
The closure was announced Friday on Facebook by owners Missy Ellis and Randy Ellis. Missy Ellis said they were heartbroken to close the restaurant. Bob Feltner opened the restaurant 58 years ago, and it went on to become a regular stop for students, locals and travelers passing through on Interstate 40.
For generations of Arkansans, the restaurant was more than a place to eat. It was a longtime River Valley favorite, tied to the rhythm of Russellville and the college across the street. Its place in local food history was cemented in 2021, when it was inducted into the Arkansas Food Hall of Fame.
The closure leaves one more familiar stop gone from a stretch of town where the restaurant had long anchored daily life and passing travel alike. Missy Ellis did not soften the meaning of the decision: the family closed a business that had been in place since 1967, and one that had become part of the community’s memory.
What happens next is simple and final: the building is closed, the run is over, and Russellville loses a restaurant that served students, neighbors and interstate travelers for nearly six decades.
