Missy Ellis Ends Feltner's Whatta-burger Russellville Closure After 58 Years

Feltner's whatta-burger russellville closure became final on Friday, when the longtime restaurant closed its doors after 58 years in business. Missy Ellis said she and Randy Ellis are heartbroken to close the restaurant, which her father, Bob Feltner, opened in 1968.

The announcement came on Facebook, ending a run that made the restaurant a regular stop for students at Arkansas Tech University, local customers and travelers passing through on Interstate 40. It also leaves behind a place known for burgers, fried pies and milkshakes.

Bob Feltner's 1968 Opening

Bob Feltner started the restaurant 58 years ago, across the street from Arkansas Tech University in Russellville. Over time, it became a familiar stop in the River Valley and for people driving through on Interstate 40.

That long run reached one more public milestone in 2021, when Feltner's Whatta-burger was inducted into the Arkansas Food Hall of Fame. The closure ends that stretch for a place tied to multiple generations of Arkansans.

Missy Ellis on the Closure

Ellis said in the Friday announcement that she and Randy Ellis are heartbroken to close the restaurant. The message marks the last day of service for a business that had become part of daily life near Arkansas Tech University and a stop for travelers along one of the state's main routes.

For customers, the change is immediate: the restaurant is no longer operating, and the 58-year name is off the map in Russellville. What remains is the record of a local place that served burgers, fried pies and milkshakes from 1968 until Friday.