News
White Castle loves 'to love you baby' this Feb 14
January 9, 2020
In Columbus, Ohio, the folks at White Castle can smell the chocolate in the air, so they're prepping to get going on one of the QSR's high holy days, the 29th annual Valentine's Day celebration at the "Castle," where sweethearts of all varieties can take part in the brand's traditional Valentine's Day dinner with hostess seating, tableside service and heart-ified dining rooms aplenty.
Likewise, the brand said in a news release that the good people of a market where it doesn't even have any stores — San Antonio, Texas — will get a special treat from a pop-up store it's erecting with help from Texas-based retailer, H-E-B, to create a singular dining experience in that market where cravers of the brand are especially plenty.
On the big day itself this Feb. 14, White Castle expects more than 30,000 people to dine at participating Castles, including the San Antonio pop-up. But if you wanted a seat at the table in the temporary Texas store, unfortunately, you're too late. The brand said its fans there snatched up all the available reservations with 24 hours of a special email to so-called "Texas Cravers" known to the brand as especially ardent supporters.
"As we look to create more memorable moments for our retail consumers — most of whom live outside of our Castle markets — we are bringing the love and our one-of-a-kind Valentine's Day celebration to new places," Tiffany Carreker, general manager and vice president for White Castle's retail division, said in the news release. "This is our first true retailer collaboration of this size, and we couldn't be happier to share the love with H-E-B."
The San Antonio pop-up will be set up in the parking lot of the H-E-B at 12125 Alamo Ranch Parkway to offer dinner that afternoon, from 3-9 p.m. local time on both Feb. 14 and Saturday, Feb. 15 to those with reservations. In fact, many there will likely be H-E-B customers too, since the retailers carries a wide variety of White Castle's products.
And of course, there's some added love being shown through all these events since White Castle will donate $10 per diner at the San Antonio pop-up to a local nonprofit organization.
Additionally, hundreds of other White Castle restaurants in 13 states will host Valentine's Day dinner guests on Friday, Feb. 14, from 4 to 9 p.m., with reservations open now through OpenTable.com or on the OpenTable app.
"Since beginning this partnership three years ago, we've seen incredible demand for the White Castle Valentine's Day experience," OpenTable Enterprise & Global Hotels Group Vice President Eric Yusefzadeh, said in the release. "We are thrilled to continue our partnership to help make the planning and reservation process easier as White Castle celebrates with its first pop-up this year."
But reservations are not only limited, but limited to the participating stores listed at whitecastle.com. And for those wishing to have their little Feb. 14 love fest at home or elsewhere, but still including White Castle, the brand suggests getting White Castle to go — from either a White Castle restaurant or a retail outlet where a sack of 20 Original Sliders are $10.99 through online or app ordering.
