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White Castle celebrates 95th birthday

White Castle, America's first hamburger chain, is celebrating its 95th birthday this year.

January 6, 2016

White Castle, America's first hamburger chain, is celebrating its 95th birthday this year. It announced it is kicking off a year-long celebration by remembering The Original Slider hamburger, which was dubbed the most influential hamburger by Time in 2014, according to a company press release. To help celebrate the milestone, White Castle is offering Share a Meals for $9.95, available in White Castle stores or through online ordering.

"We're honored to celebrate 95 years with those who mean the most to our brand — our Cravers. We have such a loyal fan base, and we've enjoyed watching it grow in size over the years," said Jamie Richardson, vice president of White Castle. "From the Cravers Hall of Fame to Valentine's Day, wedding ceremonies and everything in between, many memorable moments have been created at White Castle in its 95 years, and that's priceless to us."

White Castle was founded in 1921 in Wichita, Kansas, when insurance salesman Billy Ingram approached a local cook, Walt Anderson, with a business proposition. The duo partnered to open the first White Castle restaurant at the corner of First and Main streets. Ingram chose the name White Castle to reflect cleanliness, and modeled the restaurant after Chicago's Water Tower Place, a symbol of performance and strength for the family-owned business, the release stated.

White Castle's original menu featured four menu items — 5-cent hamburgers (The Original Slider steam grilled with onions), Coca-Cola, coffee and apple pie.

The family-owned company has foregone franchising as a means to expand, and instead, transitioned leadership from generation to generation. Today, the fourth generation of the Ingram family maintains ownership and continues to lead the business. White Castle has grown to nearly 400 locations nationwide.