Operations
White Castle celebrates 100 years, National Fast Food Day
White Castle turned 100 this year. Learn how the brand celebrated a century of serving up iconic burgers and how it plans to mark National Fast Food Day today.
November 16, 2021 by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Networld Media Group
White Castle has long been considered one of the first fast food places in the country. While the company has grown to more than 360 restaurants in 14 states, it has remained a family-owned business.
As today is National Fast Food Day, QSRweb reached out to Jamie Richardson, vice president at White Castle, via email to learn how the iconic brand celebrated its 100th birthday last spring and what sets the brand apart in a crowded field.
Q: How has White Castle changed over the years?
A: White Castle started in 1921 as a handful of small hamburger shops in Wichita, Kansas, serving 100% beef sliders, coffee, apple pie and coffee. One hundred years later, White Castle offers a complete lineup of delicious sliders and other fare through more than 360 restaurants in 14 states and a thriving retail division that enables us to reach consumers in all 50 states. But despite the growth, a couple of things haven't changed — we remain a family-owned business, now in our fourth generation of family leadership, that continues to serve the same iconic small, 100% beef square slider that fueled our success 100 years ago.
Q: How much of a role does online ordering play in White Castle's operations?
A: Online ordering was already on the rise pre-COVID-19, but the pandemic played a big hand in accelerating the adoption of placing food orders through whitecastle.com or our smartphone app. In September 2020, we also launched our first national customer loyalty program, Craver Nation, which brings a host of new features and functionality to ordering online and in restaurants.
Q: The White Castle Burger has become iconic on the QSR landscape. What changes have been made to the burger over the years?
A: In 1921, White Castle founder Billy Ingram and his partner, Walt Anderson, made a hamburger by pressing a beef meatball into a flat, circular patty on the grill. That's how The Original Slider came to be. Slight changes were made through the years, like making the patties square to fit better on the grill and adding five holes so they could cook faster and absorb more flavor from the onions. The hamburger slider has certainly stood the test of time, but customers' taste for smaller sandwiches has extended beyond our core beef slider. Today, White Castle prepares delicious sliders to satisfy any crave, from fish and chicken to veggie and The Impossible Slider.
Q: Tell us a little about the Cravers Hall of Fame. Who gets inducted and how?
A: We're fortunate to have the most devoted fans in the business, whom we affectionally refer to as Cravers. We created the Cravers Hall of Fame in 2001 as an exclusive, honorary club to recognize our most zealous, loyal Cravers. Each year, we invite new entries, looking for heartfelt stories that reflect the special connection people have with White Castle. Since the Hall of Fame's start in 2001, a total of 262 inductees have been honored with this distinguished award.
Q: How did White Castle celebrate its 100th birthday this year?
A: We've had so much fun celebrating our 100th birthday this year. Since March 10, our official birthday, we've been hosting special events, holding fun promotions and introducing new menu items. Here are a few of the highlights. In the past eight months, White Castle has:
- Awarded $100,000 in college scholarships to our team members and their dependents.
- Held our Time Machine Sweepstakes, awarding thousands of prizes, including the grand prize of $100,000.
- Unveiled new team member uniforms designed by the renowned New York City design house Telfar.
- Introduced a series of augmented reality soft drink cups in collaboration with Coca-Cola, our partner since 1921.
- Hosted a virtual birthday party in May for team members, Craver fans and members of the Ingram family.
- Partnered with several lifestyle brands, including Puma, Funko and DGK, bringing the White Castle brand to life in new and unique ways.
Q: Today is National Fast Food Day. How does the company plan to celebrate?
A: As the first fast food hamburger chain, this year's National Fast Food Day holds a special place in our hearts. This year, America's fast food industry turns 100 as well! We join our friends in the business to celebrate all that we have accomplished together. Most of all, we recognize our team members and our customers, without whom the past 100 years would not have been possible. As a special thank you to customers, we are offering a buy-one, get-one-free combo meal (No. 1 to No. 6) or breakfast combo meal throughout the day. We may have some other fun in store for White Castle's social media accounts, but I'll let you all check them out for yourself!
About Mandy Wolf Detwiler
Mandy Wolf Detwiler is the managing editor at Networld Media Group and the site editor for PizzaMarketplace.com and QSRweb.com. She has more than 20 years’ experience covering food, people and places.
An award-winning print journalist, Mandy brings more than 20 years’ experience to Networld Media Group. She has spent nearly two decades covering the pizza industry, from independent pizzerias to multi-unit chains and every size business in between. Mandy has been featured on the Food Network and has won numerous awards for her coverage of the restaurant industry. She has an insatiable appetite for learning, and can tell you where to find the best slices in the country after spending 15 years traveling and eating pizza for a living.
