The History of White Castle Restaurants

Way back in the 1900's, America hadn't acquired a taste for hamburgers yet. Until a businessman named Bill Ingram met restaurateur Walter Anderson, that is. Anderson sold grilled mini-hamburger sandwiches for a nickel a piece at his Wichita, Kansas store. Ingram knew a winner when he saw one, so he financed the expansion of Anderson's restaurants eastward across the United States. Bill Ingram finally bought Anderson out, and the rest, as they say, is the history of White Castle Restaurants.

While producing their delicious signature hamburgers was the core of the business, the White Castle Restaurants built their success on having clean, sanitary restaurants and friendly staff. The original White Castles were food stands that could be put up, taken down, and moved to different locations.

When White Castle Restaurants were founded in 1921, they became the first fast-food hamburger chain in the United States. If you're surprised by that fact, take into consideration that Ray Kroc didn't found McDonald's until1940; Frank and Donald Thomas started Burger Chef in 1954; and Dave Thomas started his famous Wendy's restaurants in 1969.

White Castle went on to become the first fast-food restaurant to sell one million hamburgers, the first to sell one billion hamburgers, and, the first fast-food chain to sell hamburgers made out of frozen beef.

Today, the company headquarters are located in Columbus, Ohio. It's interesting to note that you can find a White Castle restaurant in the states of Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Tennessee and Wisconsin. However, if the residents of Wichita, Kansas get hungry for a small, square White Castle hamburger topped with fried onions and a pickle slice, they have to cross state lines. There are no longer any White Castle fast-food restaurants in Kansas.

White Castle is well known for its mini-hamburgers, and the menu has expanded to include cheeseburgers, double cheeseburgers, Jalapeño cheeseburgers and bacon cheeseburgers in addition to french fries. In some areas, you can also order fish, chicken, dairy desserts and a variety of other menu items.

Over the years, the square hamburgers have earned the nickname of "Sliders®" (also spelled "Slyder"). The company continued to sell them for a mere nickel a piece clear through the 1940's. Because of their smallness, you have to eat more than one White Castle burger at a sitting to quiet your hunger. That's why even though you can buy just one Slider, they're often sold by the bag full. Today, you're going to need about three bucks to pay for six Sliders. There's a saying that anyone who eats six or more Sliders at one time attains the prominence of being a "Slider Pilot."

If you can't visit one of the three hundred and eighty White Castle Restaurants that are located across the United States, you can always check your grocer's freezer section for a box of their mini-hamburgers you can heat up in your microwave.

It's easy to spot a White Castle franchise with their white buildings that resemble a Medieval castle. You won't find any knights or dragons or damsels in distress inside, though. You'll only find clean surroundings and a friendly staff ready to serve you the country's most popular steam-grilled hamburger.