White Castle (restaurant)
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| White Castle | |
 |
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| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Founded | Wichita, Kansas, USA 1921 |
| Headquarters | Columbus, Ohio |
| Key people | Billy Ingram, Walter Anderson, Founders |
| Industry | Food |
| Products | Fast food, including hamburgers, french fries, and dairy desserts |
| Website | www.whitecastle.com |
White Castle is the oldest American hamburger fast food restaurant chain. It is known for square burgers, commonly referred to as "sliders" (or "slyders", apocryphally due to their propensity to slide through the human gastrointestinal system), which 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, is said to be the model for the classic building.
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[edit] History
The company was founded in 1921 in Wichita, Kansas, when entrepreneur Billy Ingram partnered with cook Walter Anderson. 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.[1]
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 now 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.[1]
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.
[edit] 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.
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. While "The Crave" marketing strategy is presented in a light hearted, tongue-in-cheek fashion, many loyal patrons of the restaurant contend they do become afflicted by "The Crave" from time to time. It is argued that the size, construction and cooking method of White Castle burgers is unique among fast food products. Therefore, it is conceivable that "The Crave", in fact, is a specific yearning for the attributes possessed only by slyders. Another possible explanation is that affordability and convenience of White Castle burgers makes it an ideal choice after one suddenly feels peckish. This is more true after consumption of alcohol, which heightens one's appetite for carbohydrates and fat.[citation needed]
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.
[edit] 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 Crave" 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 internet MMORPG Kingdom of Loathing they parody it with the White Citadel.
[edit] White Castle on the silver screen
- 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, but ends up stealing one of Toby's burgers.
- 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".[2]
- A very brief clip 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".
[edit] White Castle on the small screen
- 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."
[edit] 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
- 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
- Coca-Cola soft drink products
- Big Red (Only in Metro Louisville,KY)
- Fresh Brewed Iced Tea and Sweet Tea
- Coffee and Hot Chocolate
- Coca-Cola and Fanta Icees
- Milkshakes (Chocolate, Vanilla, Strawberry)
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.
[edit] Trivia
- When you order a Crave Crate (100 White Castles), the staff at the restaurant cheers for the orderers.
- Until World War II, all employees were male. Labor shortages during the war forced White Castle to hire women.
- The famous five holes were originally created by accident. A hamburger was accidentally broken up at restaurant in Cincinnati and it was discovered this was a faster way to cook them.
- Nicknames of the restaurants include "Slider City", "The Porcelain Palace", and "The WC Lounge".
- White Castle closed its original stores in Kansas in 1938, and attempted a failed return to Kansas in the 1990s. To this day there is not a single White Castle restaurant in the state. In fact, as noted below under "locations", the chain's extent is strictly limited to the eastern/southeastern sections of the Midwest and portions of the Upper South, with the major exception being the greater New York area.
- The uncensored version of My Name Is, by rapper Eminem, includes the lines, "This guy at White Castle asked for my autograph.... So I signed it: 'Dear Dave, thanks for the support, asshole!'"
- Although most closed restaurants have been torn down, a few -- for example, one in Minneapolis, Minnesota, converted into a jewelry store, and one in Cambridge, Massachusetts which is now a falafel restaurant -- still remain standing as examples.
- White Castle is often compared to the similar restaurant Krystal. As of March 2007, the two chains overlap in market area only in the following areas:
- Nashville, Tennessee
- Bowling Green, Kentucky
- Glasgow, Kentucky
- The Bluegrass region of Kentucky, although the two chains do not directly compete in any one city.
- Later in 2007, White Castle will open a location in London, Kentucky, where Krystal already has a location.
- Some nicknames of the burgers are Greaseburgers, Fartburgers, and Sliders. They are also known as Belly Bombers in certain areas (such as St. Louis).
- White Castle was the inspiration for the novel White Palace by the late Glenn Savan, who lived in St. Louis.
- West Castle was a copy of White Castle in southern California in the early 1980s. The patties lacked the five holes that White Castle patties have.
- New Jersey hardcore/Punk Band Adrenalin O.D. has a song called "White Hassle" about experiences with the staff, probably at its Newark NJ Location.[citation needed]
- Until the 1970’s, all White Castles had pay toilets.
[edit] Locations
White Castle can be found in the following states in the United States:[2]
[edit] 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
[edit] Logos
 The classic White Castle logo. |
 The current White Castle logo. |
[edit] References
- ^ a b Gardner, Denis P. (2004). Minnesota Treasures: Stories Behind the State's Historic Places. St. Paul, Minnesota: Minnesota Historical Society. ISBN 0-87351-471-8.
- ^ Sammon, Paul M. (1996). Future Noir: The Making of Blade Runner. p. 111: Orion Media. ISBN 0-06-105314-7.
