67 White Castle Facts: All About The Restaurant Chain!

Sakshi Thakur
Feb 07, 2023 By Sakshi Thakur
Originally Published on Jan 26, 2022
Fact-checked by Pratiti Nath
Interesting facts about White Castle restaurant chain.

Renowned as the first fast-food joint.

A supplier of small burgers with a colossal following known simply as 'The Crave.' White Castle may not be the largest burger company, but it's still great.

A White Castle slider is a sandwich that consists of one or more cooked patties—generally ground meat, usually beef—placed inside a sliced bread roll or bun. The patties can be pan-fried, grilled, smoked, or flame-grilled.

But you can be sure it boasts the most loyal fan base. Fans have been creating songs and making movies about it. Some choose to even get married inside restaurants and carry their sliders around the world. Not bad for a company that began over 100 years ago as a single hamburger shop in Wichita, Kansas.

White Castle Facts

The modern hamburger has been credited to being invented by the founder of White Castle.

  • All the fame that White Castle gathered led to many people and brands copying their idea of fast-food chains.
  • There were many burger chain outlets like a white palace, white clock, blue castle and royal castle, and so on in the 2930s or 1920s.
  • The design of the white castle restaurant was made keeping the Chicago water tower as an inspiration.
  • Chicago water tower was one of the few buildings that survived a fire in 1871.
  • The White Castle had many parallel businesses other running burger chains. They had a building and paper hats business.
  • Ingram wanted his restaurants to be tiny, affordable, and easy to set up and dismantle.
  • As a result, he established his own subsidiary, Porcelain Steel Buildings (PSB).
  • In 1934 they established a manufacturer of lightweight porcelain-and-steel buildings.
  • PSB contributed to World War Two by producing amphibious vehicles.
  • In 1932, the firm also purchased the factory Paperlynen, which made the paper hats that White Castle staff wore.
  • White Castle began taking orders from other foodservice outlets after realising it had a viable company on its hands.
  • By 1964, they were selling more than 54 million caps each year.
  • There are no more White Castle chains in Kansas.
  • Despite the fact that White Castle was started in Wichita, the brand presently has no stores in Sunflower State.
  • In 1934, White Castle's headquarters were transferred to Columbus, Ohio.
  • To commemorate the company's 90th anniversary, a temporary White Castle store was built up in Wichita for one day only on May 19, 2011. The proceeds were sent to the Kansas Food Bank.
  • White castle uses the same recipe to date.
  • The burger still has an onion flavor.
  • It is cooked in shredded onions and put in a bun.
  • It has been more than 100 years that White Castle started.
  • The White Castle had holes in its bun since 1954.
  • They have a patent of the machine to make these holes in the buns they bake.
  • Now there are five holes per bun.
  • White Castle was first among others to give handsome pay to the employees.
  • White Castle employees got $18 and $30 a week.
  • They also started the trend of paid sick days, pension plans, and regular opportunities for promotion.
  • Employees at the white castle had a dress code and decorum.
  • White Castle's staff wore spotless white attire, kept hair short.
  • Every staff began with a two-week unpaid apprenticeship.
  • Only guys between the ages of 18 and 24 were employed.
  • Cheese hamburgers were introduced in 1961 to the food menu.
  • They came up with a newsletter called Hot Hamburger.
  • In the year 1933 newspaper coupons were started to promote sales of the fast-food chains.
  • The sales were rocketing high and white castle hamburgers went out of stock in one hour only.
  • Interestingly a paid scientific research was done to prove the nutritional value of ground beef and burgers.
  • White Castle started delivery of frozen white castle hamburgers. They were delivered in 24 hours n the US.
  • Hamburgers to fly was a successful program for frozen burgers.
  • In 2004 Harold and Kumar were used to boost sales of the white castle hamburger chain. In this Kal Penn was a vegetarian. He never actually eat an original burger.
  • In 2019, one million white castle sliders were given to users of Uber eats. This was to celebrate the 15th anniversary of Harold and Kumar.
  • A hall of fame has been established in the year 2001.
  • An army soldier took 50 sliders with him to Germany.
  • There is a couple who lost 200 lb (90 kg) by eating sliders.
  • There are special arrangements and bookings for valentines day.
  • In the year 2015, 35000 customers went there for a valentine's day celebration.
  • A record 75 couples have been married at White Castle restaurants.
  • White Castle came up with steam grilled beef on onion smell candles.
  • There are more than 400 fast-food hamburger chan outlets in white castle.
  • They run crave mobiles, to deliver hamburgers where there are no outlets.
  • Hamburger chains are a common outlet for late-night goers.
  • The CEO of White Castles can still be seen at the counter in a restaurant near the headquarters in Ohio.
  • Several fourth and fifth-generation Ingrams continue to work in the family company.
  • In the year 2015, White Castle's opening in Las Vegas was a Madhouse.
  • The White Castle outlet was out of food soon. They had to close for two hours to bring in the stocks again.
  • The first White Castle fast food restaurant in Arizona was opened in October 2019.
  • In the year 2018, the impossible sliders were introduced.
  • The impossible sliders are vegetarian sliders.
  • In China, you can get a Duck slider.
  • There is a Cherry blossom slider available in white castle's China outlet.
  • White Castle does not give out franchises. They have all the outlets owned and run by the family members only.
  • In the year 2014, Times magazine called White Castle the most influential burger.
  • Hamburgers did not become popular in the United States until the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis.
  • The world record for the biggest hamburger ever prepared was established by a Minnesota casino. It weighed somewhat more than a tonne and measured 10 ft (3.04 m) in circumference.
  • Every year, over 50 billion burgers are consumed in the United States alone.
  • The typical American consumes a hamburger three times a week.
  • Hamburgers account for over 60% of all sandwiches sold worldwide.
  • Seymour, Wisconsin is home to the 'Hamburger Hall of Fame.'
  • The Fleur de Lys in Las Vegas serves one of the most costly burgers in the country. The FleurBurger is a Kobe beef burger topped with foie gras and black truffles. It also includes a 1990 bottle of Chateau Petrus for $5,000.
  • Conjugated linoleic acid, or CLA, is a component found in hamburgers that have been proven in certain tests to combat cancer. CLA has a huge impact on weight loss. Essentially, it inhibits weight gain and boosts fat reduction by increasing the body's metabolism.
  • Some of the components in the burger provide nutritious proteins that aid in muscle building. Bacon, for example, is a fantastic source of protein that will undoubtedly help you to keep your body fitter.
  • Burgers include a variety of vitamins, most of which are from the B vitamin family. In general, these vitamins aid in the effective use of dietary energy. B vitamins also aid in the production of red blood cells in the body. A lack of vitamin B-12 can result in a variety of adverse effects, including fatigue, numbness, anaemia, and a variety of other nervous system issues.
  • Minerals are abundant in burgers. It is typically determined by the components used to make the burger. Takeaway burgers in Dunsborough, on the other hand, contain a high zinc content. This has a significant impact on the production of red blood cells and aids in the maintenance of a healthy metabolism. Zinc boosts your immune system.
  • It reduces weight gain and boosts fat removal by boosting the body's metabolism. Protein is found in every cell. It is a necessary chemical in your body that assists you in keeping your body energetic and productive.

White Castle's History

  • Walt Anderson, a Wichita, Kansas, short-order chef, enjoyed experimenting with the size and form of the hamburger patties he provided. He invented the Hamburger.
  • His most famous creation, however, is supposed to have happened by accident: one day, Anderson was upset because the meatballs he was making kept sticking to the griddle, so he shattered one with a spatula. As a result, the flat patty was formed.
  • This incident invented the famous Hamburger patty. And the rest is a yummy story to date.
  • The idea of the first fast-food chain was created by Walt Anderson in America.
  • Anderson started a hamburger shop with an $80 loan in 1916.
  • Soon his business was at four locations.
  • W.E. 'Billy' Ingram, a local real estate dealer who would go on to become the company's CEO, invested in his idea.
  • In 1921 they built a network of tiny, efficiently managed eateries selling five-cent burgers by the bag.
  • White Castle began as America's first fast-food chain.
  • Way back in 9161, people had the craving for his burgers.
  • He noticed while selling burgers that there were a few lads who bought these daily. After following a few he got to know they were buying for others in a limousine.
  • So even the rich loved his idea and taste. This gave his confidence a boost.
  • This also helped him come up with the idea of delivering food to others who do not wish to come to him personally to buy it.
  • In the year 1961, White Castle sold the one-billionth burger in the country.
  • This was two years before McDonald's reached the same milestone.
  • One firm, also burger joints, the Milwaukee-based White Tower chain, even examined the precise dimensions of White Castle restaurants and utilized them to construct its own Medieval-style structures.
  • White Castle filed a lawsuit in 1929 against them.
  • After a court struggle, White Tower agreed to pay an $82,000 settlement.
  • They had to remodel and rebuild its buildings with a new, art deco-themed design.

White Castle's Menu And Locations

White castle is now available at more than 4000 places all over the world. You may not believe that there are local menus as well.

  • White Castle is a regional hamburger restaurant company in the United States, with 377 locations in 13 states in the United States of America.
  • There is a strong presence in the Midwest and the New York metropolitan area.
  • It was started on September 13, 1921, and is widely regarded as the world's first fast-food hamburger franchise.
  • It is famous for its "sliders," which are little, square hamburgers.
  • Until 1929, the burgers were priced at five cents, and they stayed at ten cents until 1949.
  • White Castle issued promotional advertising in local newspapers in the '40s that carried coupons giving five burgers for ten cents, takeaway only.
  • People have been using the locations of White Castle for parties. They have even been used for wedding venues.
  • The love for hamburgers pulls people from far off distances to go and get a White Castle slider.
  • If you previously felt that burgers were bad for your health, your opinion may have shifted. As a result, if you want to eat burgers now, you may do so without concern since you now know that you are eating something that will provide you with health advantages.

Facts About The Founder

Walt Anderson, a Wichita, Kansas, short-order chef, enjoyed experimenting with the size and form of the hamburger patties he provided. He invented the Hamburger.

  • Billy Ingram started a family-owned business with $700 and an idea in 1921, selling five-cent, little.
  • Square hamburgers were so simple to eat that they were nicknamed Sliders and sold by the bag.
  • Time Magazine named our famous Original Slider the most influential burger of all time in 2014.
  • Upton Sinclair's The Jungle and commentaries such as Frederick J. Schlink's Eat, Drink, and Be Wary presented hamburger meat as dangerous, if not toxic.
  • So to counter this idea. Ingram and Anderson chose two terms that emphasized purity and firmness.
  • They gave their burgers an immaculate image: white and castle.
  • The name was given to remove the bad reputation hamburgers and hot dogs had at the moment.

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Written by Sakshi Thakur

Bachelor of Science

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Sakshi ThakurBachelor of Science

Sakshi is a skilled content writer with extensive experience in the education industry. With a keen eye for detail and a passion for helping others, she has developed a reputation for excellence in academic content writing. She has worked with esteemed professionals such as Mr. Kapil Raj, a professor of History of Science at the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales in Paris, further enhancing her knowledge and expertise. Sakshi is well-versed in the latest developments in e-learning and has a deep understanding of how to engage students and make learning fun and accessible. In her spare time, she indulges in her creative passions, including painting, embroidery, and listening to soft music. She also enjoys exploring new cultures and traveling, which helps her broaden her perspectives and inspire her writing. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Science from Panjab University.

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Fact-checked by Pratiti Nath

Bachelor of Science specializing in Microbiology, Masters of Science specializing in Biotechnology

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Pratiti NathBachelor of Science specializing in Microbiology, Masters of Science specializing in Biotechnology

A Master's in Biotechnology from Presidency University and a Bachelor's in Microbiology from Calcutta University. Pratiti holds expertise in writing science and healthcare articles, and their inputs and feedback help writers create insightful content. They have interests in heritage, history, and climate change issues and have written articles for various websites across multiple subjects. Their experience also includes working with eco-friendly startups and climate-related NGOs.

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