WHITE CASTLE (RESTAURANT)

'White Castle' is the oldest American hamburger fast food restaurant chain. It is known for square burgers, sometimes referred to as "sliders" (officially spelled and trademarked as "Slyders"),^[1] or in New York, "Belly Bombers." They were priced at five cents until the 1940s, and remained at ten cents for years thereafter while growing smaller. For several years, when the original burgers sold for five cents, White Castle periodically ran promotional ads in local newspapers which contained coupons offering five burgers for ten cents, takeout only. The typical White Castle restaurant architecture features a white exterior with a crenelated tower at one corner to resemble a medieval castle. The Chicago Water Tower, which stands on Michigan Avenue's Magnificent Mile, is said to be the model for the classic building.

Contents

History

Marketing

Cultural references

White Castle in music

White Castle in film

White Castle on television

Menu

Locations

See also

Logos

White Castle Fan Club

References

External links

History

The company was founded by Walter Anderson in 1921 in Wichita, Kansas. Later, entrepreneur Billy Ingram partnered with cook Walter Anderson to make White Castle into a chain of restaurants and market White Castle. At the time, Americans were hesitant to eat ground beef after Upton Sinclair's 1906 novel ''The Jungle'' had publicized the poor sanitation practices of the meat packing industry. Founders Edgar Waldo "Billy" Ingram and Walter Anderson set out to change the public's perception of the cleanliness of the industry. They constructed small buildings with hygenically white exteriors and stainless steel interiors, and outfitted their employees with spotless uniforms. Their first restaurants in Wichita, Kansas, were a success, and the company branched out into other midwestern markets, starting in 1923 with Omaha, Nebraska. White Castle Building No. 8, built in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1936, was an example of the chain's prefabricated porcelain buildings. The building measured 28 feet by 28 feet and was modeled after the Chicago Water Tower, with octagonal buttresses, crenellated towers, and a parapet wall.^[2]
Anderson had developed an efficient method for cooking hamburgers, using freshly ground beef and fresh onions. The ground beef was formed into balls by machine, eighteen to a pound, or forty per kilogram. The balls were placed upon a hot grill and topped with a handful of fresh thinly shredded onion. Then they were flipped so that the onion was under the ball. The ball was then squashed down, turning the ball into a very thin patty. The bottom of the bun was then placed atop the cooking patty with the other half of the bun on top of that so that the juices and steam from the beef and the onion would permeate the bun. After grilling, a slice of dill pickle was inserted before serving. Management decreed that any additives, such as ketchup or mustard, were to be added by the customer. Anderson's method is not in use by the chain today, having changed when the company switched from using fresh beef and fresh onion to small, frozen square patties (originally supplied by Swift & Co.) which are cooked atop a bed of dehydrated onions laid out on a grill. The heat and steam rises up from the grill, through the onions. In 1949, five holes in the patty were added to facilitate quick and thorough cooking. The very thin patties are not flipped throughout this process. This "steam grilled" method is unique among major fast food restaurants.
Since fast food was unknown in the United States in that era, there was no infrastructure to support the business, as is common with today's fast food restaurants. The company established centralized bakeries and warehouses to supply itself. It created a subsidiary, Paperlynen, to make paper products used in the restaurants. They also created a subsidiary named Porcelain Steel Buildings that manufactured movable, prefabricated structures that could be assembled at any White Castle restaurant site.
The company also began publishing its own internal employee magazine, the "White Castle Official House Organ," on November 1, 1925. The bulk of the material was contributed by Castle personnel, mostly letters and photographs of workers, promotion announcements, 25-year milestones and retirements, etc., arranged by geographic area. "Employees could...read about the progress and innovations made by those in other Areas which made everyone aware of the entire System's direction and condition.".^[3]
The House Organ was published quarterly at least through the early 1980's and at some point was renamed "The Slyder Times." The Ohio Historical Society houses an extensive archive of White Castle System, Inc. records from 1921-1991, including issues dating from 1927 to 1970 of the White Castle House Organ.^[4]
Ingram's business savvy, argues David Gerard Hogan in ''Selling 'Em By the Sack: White Castle and the Creation of American Food'', not only was responsible for White Castle's success, but for the popularization of the hamburger. For example, to counter charges that burgers were not healthy, Ingram paid several young men to dress as doctors and eat White Castle hamburgers, the idea being that if doctors ate it, it had to be healthy. This same logic led Ingram to fund a study in which a University of Minnesota medical student went on a ten-week diet of nothing but White Castles and water. The experiment, though dubious, yielded results and increased legitimacy for the hamburger in general and White Castle in particular.
In 1933, Ingram bought out Anderson, and the following year the company moved corporate headquarters to Columbus, Ohio. The company remains privately held and its restaurants are company-owned; they are not franchised in the United States (international White Castle outlets are a different matter). Co-founder Billy Ingram was followed as head of the firm by his son E. W. Ingram, Jr. and grandson E. W. Ingram, III.
In concurrence with its 80th anniversary in 2001, White Castle started its Cravers' Hall of Fame. "Cravers" are inducted annually based on stories that are submitted about them, either for them by another person or by that particular Craver. Between five and ten stories have been chosen each year with a grand total of 56 stories being selected through the 2006 induction class. That is less than 1% of the total stories submitted since the inception of the Cravers' Hall of Fame.

Marketing

White Castle was an early example of successful fast food marketing. While the White Castle company is based on four earlier hamburger stands owned by Anderson, the current name was chosen by Ingram in 1921 to distinguish it from other, less healthy fast food outlets that many consumers were reluctant to visit (White Castle's own facilities, prior to 1921, were considered shoddy by some). "White" was chosen for its connotations of purity, while the "Castle" element was selected as it suggested stability and permanence. This factor was essential in the store's early successes, so much so that several chains (some of which still exist, such as Krystal) imitated the formula.
White Castle's innovative approach to preparing and presenting its hamburgers created a loyal following that, over time, developed slang used today by patrons and restaurant staff to communicate an order or otherwise discuss White Castle products. For example, a customer ordering a "sack of six with both", will receive six burgers with both ketchup and mustard (this is also a reference to White Castle's habit of keeping three bottles of condiments at hand for the burgers: ketchup, mustard, and a combination of the two—or "both"). ''(It should be noted this does not apply everywhere because restaurants in many regions only serve the burgers plain, allowing customers to add condiments.)'' In 1994 White Castle was granted a U.S. trademark on the term "slyders" which was a common nickname for its product. An individual who consumes six or more "slyders" in one sitting earns the distinction "slyder pilot." White Castle's burgers are also sold in frozen boxes in grocery stores nationwide.

A typical White Castle meal.

White Castle's marketing campaign capitalizes on the unique qualities of its product. "The Crave" is depicted in radio and television spots as a sort of addiction to White Castle burgers. An individual afflicted by "The Crave" can only be satisfied by slyders.
Every year for Valentine's Day, White Castle offers to reserve a candlelit table for two complete with a server.
In 2003, White Castle unveiled a new logo and has been promoting the slogan "What You Crave" since 1994.

Cultural references

Food from White Castle has long been considered to be a part of cannabis culture since people are also said to be afflicted with "The Munchies" if they are under the influence of cannabis. This is prominently displayed in the stoner film ''Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle.'' Punk rockers Ism and rappers the Beastie Boys have sung about White Castle. Also, because of its late hours, the restaurant (along with similar establishments such as Steak n Shake) has entered Midwestern and New York youth culture as a popular and inexpensive late-night food stop. In the MMORPG Kingdom of Loathing they parody it with the White Citadel.

White Castle in music

★ The Beastie Boys album ''License to Ill'' includes multiple references to White Castle. For example, "I chill at White Castle, 'cause it's the best..." in "It's The New Style"; "White Castle fries only come in one size" in "Slow and Low"; "And I can always make them smile, from White Castle to the Nile" in "Girls." In addition, the track "Slow Ride" includes the line "We went to White Castle and we got thrown out."

★ The Dictators pose in a White Castle in the inner sleeve of their debut album ''Go Girl Crazy''.

★ LL Cool J's song "That's a Lie", on the album ''Radio'', includes the line "You promised your girl filet mignon, took her to White Castle"

★ The Butthole Surfers song "Moving to Florida" contains the lyric "I'm gonna grind me up a White Castle slider out of a India sacred cow".

★ In Wesley Willis' song "I'm Sorry That I Got Fat", he claims that he will stop eating at White Castle in order to "slim down."

★ Redman's "Well, Well, Well Freestyle" contains the lyric, "Got White Castle burger, and chicken wings."

★ "My Name Is" by Eminem, features the lyric, "This guy at White Castle asked for my autograph so I signed it, 'Dear Dave, thanks for the support, asshole.'"

★ "In The Great Filling Station Holdup," by Jimmy Buffett, contains the lyrics: "We were sittin' in the Krystal 'bout as drunk as we can be..."; however, when the song is performed in concert, White Castle is substituted for Krystal."

★ The Smithereens wrote a song called "White Castle Blues"

★ Billy Joel mentions White Castle while singing "Shout" during his Yankee Stadium concert in 1990. "I can remember back 'round 1962, Me and my hoodlum friends use to come to the Bronx to get some of them White Castle Hamburger, yea I can..I can still taste them from back 1962"

White Castle in film

★ For the release of ''Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle'', Time Warner set up a temporary White Castle on the Sunset Strip in Hollywood from July 22 - August 11, 2004. The site, a full-size replica of one of the original White Castle restaurant designs, was set up adjacent to the Standard hotel, thus making this restaurant the only White Castle outside of the company's normal area of sales. [1]

★ White Castle is featured in the movie ''Saturday Night Fever'' when the characters Tony, Joey, Double-J, Bobby, and Stephanie eat there. It's mostly remembered for when Double-J shoves a hamburger into Joey's mouth, and Joey starts barking like a dog and stands on the table.

★ A White Castle is briefly seen in ''Wayne's World'' near the conclusion of the "Bohemian Rhapsody" singalong.

★ White Castle is featured in the movie ''American Splendor'', where the character of Toby tells Harvey not to eat any of his White Castle hamburgers. Harvey asks for a fry and ends up stealing Toby's fries.

★ The film ''White Palace'' (based on the novel of the same title by the late Glen Savan) depicts an unlikely romance between a wealthy young Jewish man and an employee of a "White Palace" hamburger restaurant. White Castle refused to allow its name to be used.

★ A noodle bar called "White Dragon" appears in the film ''Blade Runner'' (1982). According to Paul M. Sammon's book ''Future Noir: The Making of Blade Runner'' (1996), the bar was "patterned by production design Lawrence G. Paull after the White Castle hamburger chain".^[5]

★ A very brief mention of a White Castle restaurant appears in the parody film ''Epic Movie'' when "The White Bitch" (a parody of Jadis, the White Witch from the Chronicles of Narnia) tells a character she lives in "The White Castle". Kal Penn, star of ''Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle'' says "I think I'd been there before."

★ In the 1989 film "True Love" starring Ron Eldard and Annabella Sciorra, Ron's character Michael and his friends stop at a White Castle (in the Bronx I pressume), after a long night in Atlantic City for his bachelor party.

White Castle on television

★ On television, it was parodied in the ''Ugly Betty'' episode "Swag" as "White Tassel" after Betty Suarez suggested to her boss that they take a Japanese designer and his entourage to a place in New Jersey after the designer mentioned that he liked things that are "Round, white, and minimal."

Menu

White Castle is most well known for its hamburgers, but it also has a variety of other items. The menu varies depending on the region.
The following is an overview of foods served by White Castle:

★ Hamburger

★ Cheeseburger

★ Double Cheeseburger

★ Jalapeño Cheeseburger

★ Bacon Cheeseburger

★ Chicken Ring Sandwich

★ Chicken Breast Sandwich

★ Chicken Supreme

★ Fish Sandwich (with Cheese)

★ French Fries

★ Onion Chips (or Rings)

★ Chicken Rings

★ Tabasco Sauce Flavored Chicken Rings

★ Hidden Valley Ranch Flavored Chicken Rings

★ BBQ Flavored Chicken Rings

★ Buffalo Chicken Bites (New)

★ Spicy Cheese Dip

★ Clam Strips

★ Fish Nibblers

★ Mozzarella Cheese Sticks

★ Hash Browns (breakfast hours only)

★ Egg and Cheese Breakfast Sandwich

★ Bacon, Egg and Cheese Breakfast Sandwich

★ Sausage, Egg and Cheese Breakfast Sandwich

★ Bacon, Sausage, Egg and Cheese Breakfast Sandwich

★ Cinnamon, Cream Cheese, and Apple Danishes

★ Donuts

★ Coca-Cola soft drink products

★ Big Red (Only in Metro Louisville,KY, Nashville, TN and Columbus/Dayton/Cincinnati Metro)

★ Fresh Brewed Contea Iced Tea and Sweet Tea

★ Coffee and Hot Chocolate

★ Coca-Cola and Fanta Icees

★ Minute Maid Orange Juice and Raspberry Lemonade

★ Milkshakes (Chocolate, Vanilla, Strawberry) (in St. Louis, only chocolate is available)

Typically the breakfast menu is available from 5:00 AM until 10:00 AM, but some stores have attempted to boost overnight sales and start breakfast service as early as midnight. The regular menu is available 24 hours a day. (Some restaurants have started closing at 1 am on weeknights and only staying open all night on Friday and Saturday)

Locations

Map showing the states with locations of White Castles (in blue) along with states with locations of Krystal Restaurants (in red). States with both Krystals and White Castles are colored in green.

A White Castle in Queens, New York.

A White Castle/Church's Chicken co-branded restaurant in Cleveland.

White Castle can be found in the following states in the United States:^[2]

★ Illinois

★ Indiana

★ Kentucky

★ Michigan

★ Minnesota

★ Missouri

★ New Jersey

★ New York

★ Ohio

★ Tennessee

★ Wisconsin
Many Southerners tend to compare White Castle's sliders with Krystal's square burgers. With the exception of Kentucky and Tennessee, the two restaurants' locations do not overlap geographically.

See also

★ White Mana - similarly themed restaurant that was built at the 1939 New York World's Fair and relocated to New Jersey.

★ Krystal - considered to be much like White Castle but for the Southern United States.

★ Little Tavern - a similar chain in the Baltimore-Washington area.

★ White Tower Hamburgers [3]

★ ''Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle''

Logos

White Castle Fan Club

In September 2001 at the University of Minnesota Duluth, the White Castle Fan Club was created as a student organization. The Fan Club had regular meetings on the first and third Wednesdays of every month. WCFC, as it became known as, had various other events like The Slyder Pilots Tour (go to every White Castle in Minnesota in one night and eat and consume something at every location, water excluded) and The Rally Against Hunger (a charity eating contest that benefited The Salvation Army; White Castle donated 1500 Slyders and competitors ate 1405 over four hours; the event made it on The AP, Canadian radio stations, a radio station in Kentucky, local news in Florida, et al). The club's original President and later Dictator, Sean Hanson, was inducted into White Castle's Hall of Fame October 26, 2006.

References

1. WhiteCastle.com WhiteCastle.com refers to their burgers as "slyders". ''WhiteCastle.com Burger Menu'', June 2007. Retrieved June 15 2007.
2. Minnesota Treasures: Stories Behind the State's Historic Places, , Denis P., Gardner, Minnesota Historical Society, 2004, ISBN 0-87351-471-8
3.

4. White Castle System, Inc. Records, 1921-1991

5. Future Noir: The Making of Blade Runner, , Paul M., Sammon, Orion Media, 1996,

External links

★ Official White Castle web site