White Castle: 105 years of steaming ahead
From Wichita to Columbus, the family-run chain shaped fast food with bold ideas, loyal fans and steam-grilled icons.
For more than a century, the family business has been serving steam-grilled sliders and making history as the nation’s first (and most distinctive) fast-food chain. Here are some highlights, from innovative ideas to pop cultural moments.
1921
Fry cook Walt Anderson and real-estate and insurance broker Billy Ingram open White Castle in Wichita, Kansas.
1927
Because of tremendous growth throughout the Midwest and East Coast, White Castle purchases a Curtis OX-5 Travel Air Biplane to ferry its founders around their expanding burger empire.
Ingram invents the idea of restaurant “carry-out” and unveils the tagline “Selling ’em by the Sack.”
1930
White Castle commissions the University of Minnesota to study the health benefits of hamburgers. For 13 weeks, medical student Bernard Flesche eats nothing but White Castle burgers and water. Afterward, Flesche is declared in good health.
1931
White Castle starts using individual boxes to transport its steam-grilled burgers.
1932
White Castle ambassador “Julia Joyce” (real name: Ella Louise Agniel) joins the company. Joyce promotes the chain’s burgers to the middle class, especially women, which helps the company thrive during the Great Depression.
1933
The company introduces the first newspaper coupon, advertising five hamburgers for only 10 cents.
1934
Ingram moves White Castle’s headquarters to Columbus after buying out Anderson. Central Ohio offers a more convenient location for the chain’s growing operations.
1942
During WWII, women begin working at White Castles in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. Within a year, most Castle employees companywide are women.
1946
Ingram starts the 25-Year Club to honor long-serving employees, a tradition that continues to this day.
1947
Cincinnati Castle operator Earl Howell comes up with the idea of adding five holes to burger patties, which helps them cook faster and adds more oniony flavor.
1953
McDonald’s opens its first franchise restaurant, a strategy that helps turn it into an international fast-food powerhouse. Family-owned White Castle remains committed to slower, more thoughtful growth.
1960
The first White Castle TV commercial airs.
1960s
Racial unrest and economic decline hit urban centers, where most White Castles are located, but the chain refuses to abandon these neighborhoods.
1966
Billy Ingram dies.
1977
A Brooklyn Castle makes an appearance in the hit movie “Saturday Night Fever,” the first of many big pop cultural moments for the chain.
1979
Bill Ingram, Billy Ingram’s grandson, is named president and CEO of White Castle, replacing his father, Edgar, who becomes board chair.
1986
The Beastie Boys release the landmark rap album “Licensed to Ill,” which includes White Castle references in five of its 13 songs.
1987
Sliders come to supermarket freezer cases, making White Castle the first fast-food chain to sell its fare in grocery stores nationwide.
1991
White Castle launches its Valentine’s Day dinner tradition, a tongue-in-cheek fine-dining experience.
2001
The first class of superfans is inducted in the Cravers Hall of Fame, which adds Marvel’s Stan Lee later.
2004
“Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle” hits movie theatres, giving the brand unprecedented national exposure.
2014
Time magazine names the White Castle slider the most influential burger of all time.
2016
Lisa Ingram is named CEO of White Castle, replacing her father. He becomes board chair.
2026
White Castle announces plans to expand its Crave & Go slider vending machines across the country.
