Family-Owned White Castle - the Founder of Fast Food - Turns 100!

Year-Long Birthday Celebration Commemorating a Century of Innovation and Fun Begins March 10

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Mar 09, 2021, 07:30 ET

COLUMBUS, Ohio, March 9, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- One hundred years ago, Billy Ingram and Walter Anderson started a business selling small square hamburgers for 5 cents each. Little did they know at the time that they were launching not only the country's first fast-food hamburger chain, but also an entire industry.

March 10 marks the 100^th birthday of Ingram and Anderson's business, White Castle, as well as the fast food industry in America. In honor of the milestone, White Castle will be celebrating all year long with special events, fun promotions and new menu items.

White Castle, family-owned business since 1921 and founder of fast food, celebrates 100 years!

No party is complete without special food and drink, so White Castle will offer Fanta Craver Party Punch. — White Castle, family-owned business since 1921 and founder of fast food, celebrates 100 years! No party is complete without special food and drink, so White Castle will offer Fanta Craver Party Punch.

White Castle, family-owned business since 1921 and founder of fast food, celebrates 100 years!

White Castle, family-owned business since 1921 and founder of fast food, celebrates 100 years!

In collaboration with Coca-Cola, a partner since 1921, White Castle has introduced a set of three collectible augmented reality soft drink cups. Designed by Columbus artist Bryan Moss, the cups come alive with sound and motion when viewed through a smartphone. Each cup features a different time period in White Castle’s history, including notable milestones for the company. — White Castle, family-owned business since 1921 and founder of fast food, celebrates 100 years! In collaboration with Coca-Cola, a partner since 1921, White Castle has introduced a set of three collectible augmented reality soft drink cups. Designed by Columbus artist Bryan Moss, the cups come alive with sound and motion when viewed through a smartphone. Each cup features a different time period in White Castle’s history, including notable milestones for the company.

"What started as a few little hamburger stands has turned into a successful family-owned fast-food hamburger chain and retail brand that has withstood the test of time," said Lisa Ingram, president and CEO of White Castle and the great-granddaughter of Billy Ingram. "We're so proud of this achievement and grateful to everyone who helped us get here, especially our team members and our craving fans around the country."

Billy Ingram opened White Castle in Wichita, Kansas, in 1921, selling the iconic little burgers the family-owned business has become famous for. So easy to eat, they were dubbed "Sliders" and sold by the sack.

Billy Ingram moved White Castle to Columbus in 1934 after buying out Anderson's share of the business. In the subsequent years, White Castle experienced significant growth, becoming a beloved fast-food brand with millions of loyal followers. All the while, White Castle was opening more restaurants in cities across the Midwest and even on the East Coast, earning a reputation as a fun, innovative company with delicious and affordable food.

Here are some of the company's highlights:

In 1927, Billy Ingram invented restaurant carryout and unveiled the new tagline, "Buy 'em by the sack."
In 1947, White Castle modified its famous Slider, adding five holes to speed cooking and add flavor.
In 1961, White Castle became the first fast-food restaurant to sell 1 billion hamburgers.
In 1962, White Castle began serving cheese Sliders, the first new item to grace its menu since it opened in 1921.
In 1987, White Castle launched its retail division, making its famous fare available in all 50 states.
In 2014, Time magazine named White Castle's Slider the most influential burger of all time.
In 2021, on the eve of its 100^th birthday, White Castle was named to Fast Company's annual list of the world's Most Innovative Companies, landing at No. 10 in the Dining category.

Today, White Castle owns more than 360 restaurants in 12 markets and plans to open a new one in Orlando this spring. It will be the world's largest White Castle and the only one in Florida.

"Running White Castle has been an amazing experience for the extended Ingram family, and we can't wait to see what the next 100 years has in store," Lisa Ingram said. "But for now, we're excited to savor this extraordinary time in our company's history."

In honor of its 100^th birthday, White Castle has numerous festivities planned for the coming year. They include:

$100,000 in college scholarships – In recognition of the company's 100^th birthday, the Ingram-White Castle Foundation will award $100,000 in scholarships to team members and their dependents.
$100,000 sweepstakes – White Castle will conduct the Time Machine Sweepstakes. Each week of the sweepstakes will focus on a different decade and different milestones in White Castle's history. Customers can win prizes of all types, including daily instant win items, booths named in their honor, their names in lights on a Castle's exterior reader board, a personalized voicemail greeting from CEO Lisa Ingram, and the grand prize of $100,000.
New uniform designs – The renowned New York City design house TELFAR has designed a new set of team member uniforms specifically to commemorate White Castle's 100^th birthday. The set, which team members will begin wearing March 10, includes a T-shirt, polo shirt, apron, visor and durag, all featuring White Castle's logo and a reference to "100 years and counting." Telfar Clemens, the founder of TELFAR, was recently named one of Time magazine's "Time100 Next," which recognizes 100 individuals who are shaping the future.
Augmented reality soft drink cups – In collaboration with Coca-Cola, a partner since 1921, White Castle has introduced a set of three collectible augmented reality soft drink cups. Designed by Columbus artist Bryan Moss, the cups come alive with sound and motion when viewed through a smartphone. Each cup features a different time period in White Castle's history, including notable milestones for the company.
A virtual birthday party – With COVID-19 still limiting the ability for large groups to gather, White Castle is hosting a virtual birthday party on May 15 – National Slider Day – for employees and customers.
Retail expansion – White Castle will break ground this spring for the expansion of its frozen-food manufacturing plant in Vandalia, Ohio. The expanded facility, which will be twice the size of the existing 75,000-square-foot building, will be renamed in honor of Bill Ingram, the third generation family leader who created the retail division.
Cake and punch – No party is complete without special food and drink, so White Castle will offer Fanta Craver Party Punch and Birthday Cake on a Stick as limited time menu options beginning March 1 and April 18, respectively.
White Castle partnerships – Beginning in May, White Castle will announce several partnerships with iconic lifestyle brands, deepening the brand's place in pop culture.

More details about these and other planned celebrations will be shared as available on White Castle's website and social media. See below for a more thorough list of historical milestones in White Castle's 100-year history.

White Castle 100^th Birthday Historical Timeline

1921	Billy Ingram, the founder of White Castle, partnered with Walter Anderson, who owned a few successful hamburger stands. Ingram invested $700 to expand the business, which he named White Castle.

	The name White Castle was chosen to reflect cleanliness and stability. The original menu consisted of a small hamburger grilled with onions, which became known as a Slider because it was so easy to eat, along with coffee, apple pie and Coca-Cola.

1920s	White Castle was thriving, opening restaurants in different cities, including Indianapolis in 1927, Cincinnati in 1927 and Columbus in 1929.

	The company adopted the marketing phrase "Buy 'em by the sack," selling Sliders in white paper bags and creating the concept of carryout.

1934	Billy Ingram moved White Castle's headquarters to Columbus, Ohio.

1947	A Cincinnati Castle operator added five holes to White Castle's Sliders, allowing them to cook faster and absorb more flavor from the onions. White Castle loved the idea and made that change systemwide.

1960	White Castle aired its first TV commercial.

1961	White Castle became the first fast-food restaurant to sell 1 billion hamburgers.

1962	White Castle began serving cheese Sliders, the first new item to grace its menu since it opened in 1921.

1980	White Castle introduced drive-thru service.

1987	White Castle launched its retail division, becoming the first fast-food hamburger chain to offer its fare in retail stores and enabling the company to reach consumers in all 50 states.

1990	White Castle introduced its famous turkey stuffing recipe using the Original Slider^® as the main ingredient.

1990	White Castle started its beloved Valentine's Day tradition of hosting sit-down dinners complete with tableside service and dining rooms decked out in festive décor.

2001	White Castle established the Cravers Hall of Fame to honor its most devoted fans and inducted the inaugural class.

2004	The movie "Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle" was released, helping White Castle become a cultural icon.

2014	Time magazine named White Castle's Slider the most influential burger of all time.

2016	Lisa Ingram, the great-granddaughter of founder Billy Ingram, was named president and CEO of White Castle. She represents the fourth generation of family leadership and is the first female to hold the position.

2017	White Castle became an official partner of USA Luge, the nation's other foremost "slider expert," and the title sponsor of the White Castle USA Luge Slider Search, an off-season recruitment program for young kids.

2018	White Castle became first fast-food chain to offer a plant-based burger, the Impossible^™ Slider, which Thrillist called the "Best Plant-Based Fast Food Burger."

2019	White Castle moved into a brand new, LEED-certified home office in Columbus, Ohio.

2021	White Castle was named by Fast Company as one of the world's Most Innovative Companies for 2021, landing at No. 10 in the Dining category.

2021	White Castle owns more than 360 restaurants in 12 markets and plans to open another one in the spring. It will be the largest one in the world and the only one in Florida.

2021	White Castle turns 100 on March 10 with plans to celebrate all year long.

About White Castle^®

White Castle, America's first fast-food hamburger chain, has been making hot and tasty Sliders as a family-owned business for 100 years. Based in Columbus, Ohio, White Castle started serving The Original Slider^® in 1921. Today White Castle owns and operates more than 360 restaurants dedicated to satisfying customers' cravings morning, noon and night and sells its famous fare in retail stores nationwide. The Original Slider ^®, named in 2014 as Time magazine's most influential burger of all time, is served alongside a menu of creatively crafted sliders and other mouthwatering food options, including White Castle's Impossible^™ Slider, named by Thrillist in 2019 as the "Best Plant-Based Fast Food Burger." White Castle's commitment to maintaining the highest quality products extends to the company owning and operating its own meat processing plants, bakeries and frozen-food processing plants. White Castle is known for the legendary loyalty of its team members, more than 1 in 4 of whom have worked for White Castle for at least 10 years, and of its faithful fans, affectionately referred to as Cravers, many of whom compete each year for entry into the Cravers Hall of Fame. The official White Castle app, available at iTunes App Store or Google Play, makes it easy for Cravers to access sweet deals and place pickup orders any time. They can also have their orders delivered using one of White Castle's delivery partners. For more information on White Castle, visit whitecastle.com.

SOURCE White Castle