41 Fascinating Facts About White Castle

As the pioneer of fast food, White Castle is renowned for its iconic small burgers, often referred to as "The Crave." Though not the biggest burger chain, it has cultivated an incredibly passionate fanbase. Enthusiasts have composed songs, created films, tied the knot in its restaurants, and even taken their sliders across the globe. This is quite impressive for a brand that started as a humble hamburger stand in Wichita, Kansas almost a century ago.

1. The founder of White Castle pioneered the contemporary hamburger.

Walt Anderson, a short-order cook in Wichita, Kansas, enjoyed experimenting with the size and shape of his hamburger patties. His most notable innovation reportedly happened by chance: one day, while frustrated by meatballs sticking to the griddle, he flattened one with a spatula, giving birth to the flat patty.

2. Walt Anderson is also recognized as a trailblazer of fast food in America.

In 1916, Anderson started a hamburger stand with an $80 loan and soon grew to four locations. W.E. "Billy" Ingram, a local real estate broker who later became the company's CEO, joined him, and in 1921, they launched a chain of compact, efficient restaurants selling five-cent burgers in bulk. White Castle is often acknowledged as America's first fast food concept.

3. As early as 1916, people experienced "the crave."

As detailed in David G. Hogan's book Selling 'Em by the Sack, Anderson observed a group of young boys frequently purchasing sacks of hamburgers from his original stand. Curious, he trailed one boy who walked down the street, turned a corner, and handed the burgers through the open door of a limousine.

4. White Castle became the first fast food chain to sell one billion burgers.

White Castle achieved the milestone of selling its one billionth burger in 1961, two years ahead of McDonald’s reaching the same achievement.

5. The name was chosen to combat the negative reputation hamburgers had during that era.

Works such as Upton Sinclair's The Jungle and Frederick J. Schlink's Eat, Drink and Be Wary painted hamburger meat as unsafe, even hazardous. To counter this perception, Ingram and Anderson chose a name that evoked cleanliness and strength by combining the words white and castle.

6. The name White Castle inspired numerous imitators.

During the 1920s and 1930s, competitors like White Palace, Royal Castle, and White Clock emerged, aiming to replicate White Castle’s success. The Milwaukee-based White Tower chain even copied the exact dimensions of White Castle’s buildings for their Medieval-style structures. In 1929, White Castle filed a lawsuit. After a prolonged legal battle, White Tower paid an $82,000 settlement and redesigned its buildings with an art deco aesthetic.

7. The design of White Castle was influenced by the Chicago Water Tower.

The Chicago Water Tower, a historic landmark that survived the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, served as the inspiration [PDF] for White Castle’s distinctive turret-and-tower design.

8. White Castle diversified into creating their own buildings and paper hats.

Ingram aimed for his restaurants to be compact, affordable, and easy to assemble or dismantle. In 1934, he established Porcelain Steel Buildings (PSB), a subsidiary to produce lightweight porcelain-and-steel structures. During World War II, PSB contributed by manufacturing amphibious vehicles. Additionally, White Castle acquired Paperlynen in 1932 to produce the paper hats worn by employees. Recognizing the potential, they began supplying hats to other food service businesses, selling over 54 million caps annually by 1964.

9. Kansas no longer has any White Castle locations.

Despite being founded in Wichita, White Castle no longer operates any locations in Kansas. (The company moved its headquarters to Columbus, Ohio in 1934.) To mark its 90th anniversary, a pop-up White Castle opened in Wichita for one day only on May 19, 2011, with proceeds benefiting the Kansas Food Bank.

10. The White Castle slider today remains nearly identical to the original recipe.

Anderson’s original hamburger featured a small beef patty cooked over shredded onions and placed on a bun instead of bread. A century later, the recipe has stayed largely the same.

11. Since 1954, White Castle has been adding holes to their burger patties.

In 1954, Earl Howell, an employee at White Castle’s Cincinnati location, proposed that adding small holes to the patties would make them cook faster. His idea was a game-changer. Today, every White Castle burger features five holes. “We even hold a patent for the machine that creates these holes,” Jamie Richardson, White Castle’s vice president, explained in a 2017 interview with Thrillist. “It’s called the Meat Horn.”

12. White Castle turned burger flipping into a sought-after job.

While fast food wages today are often criticized, working at White Castle was once a prestigious position. Ingram paid employees $18 to $30 weekly—a significant amount at the time—and provided benefits like paid sick leave, pension plans, and clear paths for advancement.

13. Billy Ingram maintained strict standards for his employees.

White Castle employees, who completed a two-week unpaid training period, were required to wear spotless white uniforms, maintain short hair, and treat customers with unwavering politeness. In the company’s early years, only men aged 18 to 24 were eligible for employment.

14. Cheeseburgers weren’t added to White Castle’s menu until 1961.

As stated on the company’s official website: “After 41 years of operation, we took a bold step by introducing our first new menu item: the cheeseburger!”

15. The company published a newsletter titled the Hot Hamburger.

The newsletter featured humor, short tales, and sales tips—such as how to persuade customers that a slice of pie was the perfect follow-up to a burger feast.

16. White Castle didn’t expect the overwhelming response to its first newspaper coupons.

Inspired by grocery store tactics, Billy Ingram placed coupons for discounted burgers in major newspapers on June 3, 1933. “Initially, the coupon campaign might have been too effective,” Hogan noted in Selling ‘em By the Sack. “Some locations were so overwhelmed that they sold out of food within an hour, forcing suppliers to scramble to meet demand.”

17. Billy Ingram sponsored "scientific" studies to demonstrate the nutritional benefits of White Castle’s burgers.

Determined to show that his burgers were not only safe but also nutritious, Ingram financed some questionable research. One notable study involved a University of Minnesota medical student who ate only White Castle burgers for 13 weeks. While his physical health remained intact, his enthusiasm likely waned.

18. White Castle once offered a service to deliver frozen burgers nationwide within 24 hours.

In the mid-1980s, if you craved White Castle but didn’t live near one, you could order frozen sliders via a toll-free number. The "Hamburgers to Fly" initiative was so popular that it led to the creation of the company’s frozen food line.

19. Kal Penn, star of Harold And Kumar Go To White Castle, is a vegetarian.

The 2004 buddy comedy Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle significantly increased slider sales, though co-star Kal Penn, a vegetarian, never ate one. (The crew prepared meat-free alternatives for him.)

20. To mark the 15th anniversary of Harold And Kumar Go To White Castle, one million sliders were given away.

On July 30 and 31, 2019, customers using the Uber Eats promo code “1MILLIONSLIDERS” could claim a free 10-stack slider at White Castle. (Small fees applied to orders under $10.) “In 2004, we witnessed two fans embark on an epic journey to satisfy their cravings,” White Castle CEO Lisa Ingram stated in a press release. “We’re thrilled to collaborate with Uber Eats to elevate our delivery services and meet customer demands wherever and whenever they arise.”

21. White Castle has been a muse for musicians.

The Beastie Boys have several songs mentioning White Castle, including useful tidbits like "White Castle fries only come in one size." Another example is "White Castle Blues" by The Smithereens, a band from the '80s.

22. White Castle has its own Craver Hall Of Fame.

To celebrate its most loyal fans, White Castle launched its hall of fame in 2001. Notable inductees include a soldier who brought 50 sliders to Germany and a couple who lost 200 pounds while enjoying sliders. Alice Cooper is also a member; White Castle notes that Cooper became a fan as a child in Detroit and "planned tour dates around White Castle locations throughout his career."

23. Stan Lee was honored with induction into the Craver Hall Of Fame in 2017.

Stan Lee, the iconic figure behind Marvel Comics, had a deep affection for sliders. “Growing up in Washington Heights and the Bronx, I adored White Castle,” Lee remarked in 2017. “The legendary slider was a favorite back then, and it still is today, over 95 years later! I’m thankful to White Castle for acknowledging my lifelong cravings and honored to be part of the Craver Hall of Fame alongside past and future inductees!”

24. White Castle embraces romance on Valentine's Day.

Few things symbolize love better than sharing a stack of sliders, making White Castle a top Valentine's Day spot. Restaurants accept reservations weeks ahead and provide table service. In 2015, over 35,000 customers celebrated the occasion there.

25. Over 75 couples have tied the knot at White Castle locations.

In 2018, Adam Mandel and Whitney Wicker won a nationwide White Castle Wedding contest, no holds barred. Yes, really. Along with countless other couples, they applied by explaining why they deserved the grand prize: the chance to host their wedding rehearsal, ceremony, and reception at a White Castle in Las Vegas. The package also included a five-day honeymoon in Belgium, a slider-shaped cake, and bouquets adorned with takeout boxes. Romantic, isn’t it?

26. There’s a stuffing recipe that incorporates chopped-up White Castle sliders.

Thanksgiving will never be the same again.

27. You can buy candles that mimic the aroma of sliders.

Fill your home with the scent of steam-grilled beef layered with onions.

28. White Castle runs “Crave Mobiles.”

With nearly 400 locations, White Castle is only available in about a dozen states. To satisfy cravings in areas without a Castle, the company sends out Crave Mobiles. During a 2015 visit to Orlando, over 10,000 sliders were sold.

29. It’s a favorite destination for late-night crowds.

In 2017, data from the Foursquare app revealed that 21.5 percent of White Castle’s foot traffic occurred between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m. Foursquare’s report noted that Jack in the Box, Taco Bell, Wendy’s, Burger King, and McDonald’s attract significantly fewer customers (proportionally) during these hours.

30. White Castle’s CEO occasionally works behind the counter.

In an interview with Columbus CEO, Lisa Ingram—White Castle’s current CEO and great-granddaughter of Billy Ingram—shared that she sometimes serves burgers at a location near the company’s Columbus, Ohio headquarters. Several fourth- and fifth-generation Ingrams remain active in the family business.

31. The opening of White Castle’s Las Vegas location was chaotic.

When White Castle opened on the Las Vegas Strip in January 2015, the demand was so overwhelming that the location ran out of food and had to close for two hours to restock. This wasn’t surprising, given that the nearest Castle was 1500 miles away in Missouri. The crave is undeniably powerful.

32. Arizona’s first White Castle opened in October 2019.

Situated near Scottsdale, the restaurant debuted on October 23, 2019. Dedicated Cravers camped outside to witness the grand opening. The 24-hour location drew such a massive crowd on its first day that it had to temporarily close due to running out of burgers.

33. Vegetarians can enjoy plant-based sliders.

Introduced in 2018, the vegetarian “Impossible Slider” became so popular that it earned a permanent spot on White Castle’s menu. This plant-based creation was developed in collaboration with Impossible Foods, a northern California-based meat alternative company.

34. Don Adams, known as Inspector Gadget, starred in a series of White Castle commercials.

Don Adams, famous for playing the bumbling yet endearing secret agent Maxwell Smart on Get Smart—a sitcom created by Mel Brooks and Buck Henry—later voiced the quirky detective Inspector Gadget. In the 1990s, Adams appeared in White Castle ads as various characters, including a chatty cowboy and a gadget-wielding spy.

35. White Castle locations in China offer a duck meat slider.

Known as the “Cherry Blossom Slider,” it’s one of the unique regional offerings at White Castle’s new locations in China. (If duck isn’t your preference, you can opt for the Spicy Tofu Slider.)

36. Unlike its major competitors, White Castle doesn’t use franchising.

Every White Castle location is managed directly by the company, without involvement from franchise owners. This contrasts with chains like McDonald’s, Burger King, and Wendy’s, which heavily rely on franchising. While unconventional, this model thrives thanks to customer loyalty and affordable prices. “We hear stories of customers traveling hours, even overnight, to enjoy our unique product that can’t be found elsewhere,” Lisa Ingram explained.

37. NFL veteran Anthony “Spice” Adams announced his retirement in a YouTube video that concluded with a trip to White Castle.

Anthony Adams, drafted in 2003, played as a defensive tackle for nine seasons with the San Francisco 49ers and Chicago Bears. When he retired, he announced it by dressing in a suit and filming himself enjoying fries at a White Castle, accompanied by his daughters.

38. A White Castle scene appears in Saturday Night Fever.

Long before Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle, John Travolta’s iconic portrayal of Tony Manero in Saturday Night Fever featured a scene where Manero and his friends devour sliders at a White Castle in Bayside, Brooklyn. (Manero gets scolded for talking with his mouth full—a friend quips, “Don’t you never chew?”) Sadly, this White Castle location has since closed.

39. As an April Fools’ Day joke, White Castle went viral by claiming to launch a hamburger-flavored protein powder.

“Do you dream of bulging biceps? Want to get ripped? Great news, Jabroni!” This is how a fake ad for a fictional product called “White Castle Whey Protein” begins. In a statement, the company joked that this imaginary supplement—reportedly containing “protein from real White Castle sliders”—would launch on April 1, 2018.

40. Two New Jersey EMTs once skipped a hospital call to indulge their cravings.

Two EMTs from Newark’s University Hospital resigned after failing to respond promptly to a 2016 emergency call—because they were grabbing food at a nearby White Castle. “I ordered my food before the f***ing call came in,” the driver said in a recorded exchange. “You think I’d just toss it and leave? No way.”

41. The White Castle slider has been crowned “the most influential burger of all time.”

Yes, you read that correctly. In 2014, Sarah Begley, a correspondent for TIME magazine, compiled a list of the 17 most historically impactful burgers ever created. The classic White Castle slider outshone competitors like the Burger King Whopper and the In-N-Out Burger to claim the number one position.

This story was originally published in 2016.