COLUMBUS, Ohio, Jan. 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Happy Birthday, White Castle! America's first hamburger chain turns 95 this year and to honor this milestone, it's kicking off a yearlong celebration of "The Crave" by remembering where it all began – with The Original Slider®. This cult classic was dubbed the most influential hamburger by Time in 2014.
"The Crave" is a powerful thing today, but it all began 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.
"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's original menu featured just four menu items – 5¢ hamburgers (The Original Slider steam grilled with onions), Coca-Cola®, coffee and apple pie. Today, the restaurant chain prides itself on menu diversification and introduces new products to its customers frequently, including a Veggie Slider, dessert on a stick, and Anything, Anytime – a new concept that gives Cravers the option to order anything on the menu, anytime their local White Castle is open.
White Castle is recognized as the original quick-service restaurant (QSR) chain, and has had a tremendous cultural impact on dining. The family-owned company has foregone franchising as a means to expand, and instead, transitioned leadership from generation to generation, a rarity for larger companies. Today, the fourth generation of the Ingram family maintains ownership and continues to steward the business, while adhering to many of White Castle's founding principles and original vision.
The 2"x2" Original Slider itself has inspired an infinite number of imitators, but the dedication of the loyal White Castle customer, or "Craver" as their affectionately known, has created a legacy of the "Crave Culture." Hollywood captured a "Craver quest" in the 2004 cult classic Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle, which introduced a new generation of the brand to White Castle. White Castle even honors the most ardent Cravers every year by inducting them into its very own Cravers Hall of Fame.
The regionalized restaurant footprint has fed the legend of White Castle. Its retail food products division gives Cravers nationwide the ability to purchase Sliders from their local grocery store. The company has grown to nearly 400 locations across the United Statesand in January 2014, opened a Castle in Las Vegas on the Strip that attracted long lines and tremendous fanfare.
To help celebrate the kickoff of the yearlong 95th Birthday Celebration, White Castle is offering Share a Meals® for just $9.95, available in Castles or through online ordering. The meals are a great value and are the perfect solution to satisfying a group of Cravers.
