The brand, which was founded by Billy Ingram in 1921, turned 100 last year, and it was indeed the first American fast-food joint to celebrate a centennial anniversary. "White Castle didn't make that hamburger famous, that hamburger made White Castle famous," Coastal Castle president Kenneth H. Clifford told the Los Angeles Times in 1985. Nation's Restaurant News is part of the Informa Connect Division of Informa PLC. White Castle is the country's oldest fast-food chain. (Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg via Getty Images). All rights reserved. With White Castle investing nearly $100 million in replacing and re-modeling their aging restaurants, it's clear the fast-food chain is focused on doing things the only way they know how - with growth slow and steady - and keeping it in the family. White Castle hamburger Sliders move down a conveyor belt before being frozen, packaged and shipped to grocery stores at the new White Castle Co. As a member of the family that owns the multi-million-dollar White Castle chain, Ingram probably has a significant share of the company's net worth. When this reporter played in a roller hockey league in Bayside, Queens many years ago, he and his teammates would dine at a local White Castle. People in Wichita loved the burgers. White Castle is holding its own. The new White Castle logo which has been an improvement but same concept as the old logo. Walt Anderson. This means it isn't required to report information such as the CEO's salary. I think you fear a dilution of the company philosophy a little bit.. White Castle is entering its centennial year by transitioning its board chair from former White Castle President and CEO Bill Ingram to his daughter, the company's current president and CEO, Lisa Ingram, according to a news release. Richardson: So much of our investment these days is in growing sales of consumer packaged goods. 7 / 34. Founded in 1921 by Billy Ingram, Ohio-based White Castle made the term slider a national food item. About Dave Rife. "It's easier to get into Harvard than the Cravers Hall of Fame," said White Castle spokesman Jamie Richardson. Each year, White Castle and the Ingram-White Castle Foundation, founded in 1949, donate more than $2 million to a variety of charities across the nation, including more than $8 million for Autism Speaks in the last 10 years. 'I'd be really worried what that would do to the whole brand.'. Their original Slider sold "By the Sack" was recently declared the "most influential burger of all time" by a major magazine. Billy Ingram founded White Castle, the world's first fast-food chain, in Wichita, Kansas, in 1921. Today more than ever, the next generation of customers is asking for authenticity and thats something we can claim with a clear conscience. Courtesy of White Castle. In 1921, partners Edgar Waldo "Billy" Ingram and Walter "Walt" Anderson opened the first White Castle restaurant in a 15x10-foot white cement-block building with five counter stools. Ingram is the great-granddaughter of White Castle founder Billy Ingram, per Forbes, and Columbus Business First noted that she is one of 10 fourth-generation family members in leadership positions with the company. About 90% of our Castles are open 24 hours. How many burger joints can say that? By contrast McDonalds has around 37,800 global locations and Burger King around 13,000. McClendon planned that a subject would eat only White Castle hamburgers and water for thirteen weeks. Take the name and color of the building for instance. (White Castle made $738.3 million in 2019, according to The Business Journals. The company was formally incorporated in 1924, and that same year the two men opened their first restaurant outside of Wichita. 'Bill' Ingram III to the Columbus Dispatch. 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 . when he and Ingram set out with $700 to open White Castle in . There are now 400 restaurants in 13 states. Billy Ingram died in Columbus on May 20, 1966, after battling a short illness. White Castle, the family chain still going strong. The customer then was served up a slider made with unfrozen beef delicious. May 27, 2021, 05:00 ET. Shutterstock. The company likes to keep its fast food empire within the family and doesn't sell its business locations. She is Chief Executive Officer of White Castle System, Inc., a restaurant chain with approximately 360 locations and a manufacturing business that sells products to retailers in all 50 states, since 2015. Market data provided by Factset. In the subsequent years, White Castle experienced significant growth, becoming a beloved fast . The one . Hooray! Actors Kal Penn and John Cho pose for a portrait while promoting their movie "Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle" at Pop's Burger in downtown New York City on July 19, 2004. "Part of the agreement from purchasing it from Indiana Landmarks is that the purchaser has to restore the exterior brick," Jason Hartman, the building's new owner said. Americans are expected to spend about $333 billion on fast food in 2022, according to IBIS World data. Late comic book legend Stan Lee (1922-2018) a writer, editor, publisher and producer was a member of the White Castle Cravers Hall of Fame. The Beastie Boys. He's considered the father of fast food. By Sally M. Snell. Richardson: To me the definition is being comfortable in our own skin. "We try to make sure we don't complicate the operation of individual restaurants,said Ingram's grandson, Bill Ingram. Richardson: Were smaller than our bigger competitors so we have to be smarter. To read more stories in this unique "Meet the American Who" series from Fox News Digital, click here. Anderson's . Yet, price changes were inevitable. When Mr Ingram finally walks out of the door as he steps down from his position, he'll be handing the reins over to his daughter, Lisa, the current president. Credit or blame, as the case may be entrepreneur Billy Ingram. For access to live and. /sites/all/themes/penton_subtheme_nrn/images/logos/footer.png, White Castle CEO and president Lisa Ingram, Meet the innovative, inclusive and industry changing leaders of the 2021 NRN Power List, 2023 Informa USA, Inc., All rights reserved, Allowed HTML tags: . STEPHEN 'What sentimental tosh!' After one school says it is families' responsibility to police their children's social media spats, Jenni White Castle CEO passes reins to fourth generation | The Columbus Dispatch, White Castle: A Cult Classic Searching For New Sizzle, [(Selling 'Em by the Sack: White Castle and the Creation of American Food )] [Author: David Gerard Hogan] [Nov-1999]: David Gerard Hogan: Amazon.com: Books, Do not sell or share my personal information. It is considered the world's first fast-food eatery. (Courtesy White Castle). . The book caused a sensation with its depiction of conditions in the meatpacking industry. Businessman. Billy Ingram net worth is $9 Million Billy Ingram Wiki: Salary, Married, Wedding, Spouse, Family Billy Ingram is an actor and writer, known for A Killer Christmas Carol (2011), Super Secret TV Formulas (2003) and The 100 Funniest Movies (2006). (Yes, it was a real insult to the hamburger.). "Yep. Weve remained relevant for almost a 100 years. 'Billy' Ingram, and will remain on the board after 35 years as CEO. Roughly half of its 401 outlets were built before 1960; the average manager has put in 21 years. Lines and paragraphs break automatically. "The White [was] to connote cleanliness," said brand spokesman Richardson. `Edgar Waldo (Billy) Ingram, who co-founded the White Castle system of hamburger diners, at age 35. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. He's considered the father of fast food. They are now married. Anderson is credited with being the inventor of the hamburger His birth date and place are unknown in the media. As a member of the family that owns the multi-million-dollar White Castle chain, Ingram probably has a significant share of the company's net worth. Ingram's great-grandfather, Edgar Waldo "Billy" A. Ingram, partnered with Walt A. Anderson, who ran burger food stands at the time, to open the first White Castle restaurant location in 1921 . The sliders are available in the frozen-food aisle of supermarkets in all 50 states. Dave Rife net worth is $100 Million Dave Rife Wiki Biography. In January, Lisa Ingram, CEO of White Castle, took on a second title at the chain: head of the board of directors, following the retirement of her father (via Columbus Business First). He was 85 years old. "Knowing that we started in Wichita and that it is where it all began, we thought would be a great chance to bring some of the family members together," said Jamie Richardson, the company's VP. 10% of White Castle employees are Black or African American. . In just the past 20 years, sales have more than doubled to $675 million and the chain added about 100 stores. How fitting! World hot-dog eating champion and food legend Joey Chestnut is a White Castle enthusiast. May . The following year, Billy decided to move all company operations from Wichita to a more centralized location at 555 Goodale Street in Columbus, Ohio. Walt Anderson was a short-order cook who opened his own hamburger stand in 1916, in a converted streetcar at the corner of Douglas and Mead Streets in Wichita. Billy became really intrigued by this idea of the hamburger sandwich. Oh, and if you're wondering where this holiday came from, because it sounds way too much like a marketing gimmick to be any sort of legit holiday, well, you're totally right. And the biggest challenge is, how do you do that in a way that is more sustainable for your business. Ingram Jr., who passed it on to E.W. In celebration of their 90th anniversary or perhaps just to taunt Kansas fans the company did set up a pop-up shop for a single day in Wichita in 2011. Richardson: I think the growth will come in marketshare. Ingram, in her LinkedIn profile, said, Our 10,000 team members are second to none and continue to deliver memorable moments to our internal and external customers on a daily basis. Elaine Miseta and retiring White Castle CEO Bill Ingram III pictured in 1982. Local burger cook Walter Anderson (left) and entrepreneur Billy Ingram founded White Castle in Wichita, Kansas, in 1921. Tricky emoji quiz will put your knowledge of childhood classics to the test. The brand remains small by modern fast-food standards: It has fewer than 400 locations, most of them clustered in the Midwest and New York area. The picture shown here may be "number 4," but it was the first white castle White Castle in the business; the other three were later remodeled after this location. Sunday at 9 pm on Spectrum News 1 @WhiteCastle @wclisaingram. Hartman is having a special brick mason from Texas tackle the restoration job. "I know, as a fourth-generation, we are all thankful for Bill's many years of leadership," Lisa . But only one was the first. The shame and despair of being physically attacked by your own child. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. They were not shy about leaning into their age, running so many promotions that it was almost . 4. Perhaps even more groundbreaking than the fast food idea are White Castle's claims of popularizing the hamburger. Ingram had an answer in the form of an idea for a "scientific experiment.". Edgar Waldo "Billy" Ingram was born in humble circumstances in Leadville, Colorado, in 1880. Ingram then went to work perfecting ways to turn out Andersons burgers as quickly as possible in a sparking, sanitary space to reassure a wary public. "Prior to Anderson's method of preparation, the hamburger sandwich consisted of a thick ball of ground meat cooked slowly on a griddle for an indefinite period of time," noted the same source. Chestnut and fellow competitive eater Matt Stonie recently savaged an order of 100 White Castle sliders in Las Vegas. "Bill" Ingram III, who served for over 40 years before his daughter Lisa Ingram took . In August of 2018, when Cruz and O'Rourke were battling it out for Texas Senate supremacy, Cruz's spokesperson called his opponent a "Triple Meat Whataburger liberal who is out of touch with Texas values." Jan 10, 2020. 'If you franchise, while you can expand faster, you're giving up control of the operation,' says Lisa, who has an M.B.A. from Ohio State. Even its burger cooking process is a little strange. It probably didn't hurt that the company had Impossible launch parties with celebrities like Questlove and the Wu-Tang Clan. Why not? Bee around 1900, before moving to Wichita to pursue his career in real estate and insurance. Ms. Ingram has also served as President of White Castle System, Inc. since 2013 . Founded on September 13, 1921, in Wichita, Kansas, it has been generally credited as the world's first fast-food hamburger chain. Billy bought out Anderson in 1933 and moved the operation to Columbus a year later. Market data provided by Factset. In order to get the misinformed public in the door and ordering his White Castle hamburgers, Ingram worked out a deal with the University of Minnesota to research the health of the food. Richardson: Our niche is distinctive food you cant get anywhere else. They also appointed outsiders to the company's board which was a success. White Castle burgers and fries. In 1961, White Castle became the first fast-food restaurant to sell 1 billion hamburgers. Left to die alone like an animal: Parents who left 23-stone disabled daughter to die in her own filth are Holiday home owners in Scotland face new SNP tax hike under plans from front-runner to be new First Scotland should just self-identify as an independent country, one SNP member proposed. This level of focus on cleanliness and appearance has carried over to the modern day White Castle as well. White Castle turned 100 years old last week. Private Company Incorporated: 1924 as the White Castle System of Eating Houses Corporation Employees: 9,700 Sales: $307 million SICs: 5812 Eating Places; 3444 Sheet Metal Work White Castle Systems, Inc. operates the ninth largest hamburger chain in the United States, with . Their first hamburger building was inspired by the design of Chicago's Water Tower - in the shape of a castle. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. I ate it," he said. Workers scheduled during that time in the restaurants, at the home office and at the companys manufacturing plants were paid for the four-hour break. Flesche maintained good health throughout the entire 13 weeks and Ingram incorporated the study into White Castle's marketing campaign to prove customers could eat only his burgers and still maintain "physical and mental faculties." (Courtesy White Castle), He added, "[White Castle] had these efficiencies built into it that really spoke to the fascinations of the era. The company -- the first hamburger chain -- relishes its iconic status. The Wichita, Kan., eatery served hamburger sandwiches, pie . Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Even with its history, the building hasn't always been a hot real estate commodity and it sat vacant for 15 years after being used as a real estate office and then a National Guard Recruitment office. 11% of White Castle employees are Hispanic or Latino. Frozen sliders are in grocery stores across the country along with White Castle mustard and coffee. White Castle Building No. But we also offer new products such as the Impossible slider. While it probably won't become a White Castle restaurant again, Hartman is hopeful that he can find a long-term tenant that sees the value in the history of the building that only had room for five stools in its early years. Published: 19:52 GMT, 20 December 2015 | Updated: 22:56 GMT, 20 December 2015. The Smithereens recorded the song "White Castle Blues" in 1986, a novelty in their breakout year. 8 Is A Historic Landmark. White Castle wears its "oldest American fast-food chain" badge loudly. Starting this year and going forward, Ingram said, White Castle will give team members time to exercise their right to vote in presidential elections. Reply. 'I've always learned more from my mistakes than my so-called successes,' Bill told Forbes. Theyre still hungry for more sliders and that keeps them happy. The book had impacted the good name of ground beef so much, that Anderson and business partner Billy A. Ingram choose the name "White Castle" to convey a sense of purity and strength. The Prestigious school where Princes William and Harry were educated is EPHRAIM HARDCASTLE: Prince William's potentially awkward visit to homelessness charity. Its revenue in 2018 rose 1.6%. Edgar Waldo "Billy" Ingram, born in Colorado in 1880, opened a White Castle in 1921 and changed American eating habits forever. Legal Statement. How Rich Is The White Castle CEO And What's The Average Pay Of Its Employees. 'We'll miss him,' daughter Lisa said about her dad, 'but we'll know where to find him. The first McDonalds hamburger shop opened in 1940. The comments below have not been moderated. (Photo by CBS via Getty Images), "I chill at White Castle cause its the best," the trio rapped in "The New Style.". Please direct all questions to iwcf@columbusfoundation.org or 614.545.0855. the Ingram-White Castle Foundation will be awarding $100,000 in scholarships to team members and their dependents. Behold, the Impossible slider! Title page for Upton Sinclair's "The Jungle," 1906. Since its inception, the Ingram-White Castle Foundation has provided $1.5 million in scholarship support to deserving team members and their dependents. Rather than wait for his local White Castle to install bigger booths, or dare take an even more extreme approach and lose a few pounds, Kessman sued White Castleunder the Americans with Disabilities Act for not providing him with six more inches of "gut space," according to Forbes. "It was like a love letter to White Castle," said Richardson, White Castle's then-director of marketing. The United States today is a fast food nation. Here's the lowdown on this odd little burger chain. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. It wasn't just the look of the restaurant that Ingram and Anderson placed a level of sanitary scrutiny on, but the employees working behind the counter as well. "We invented National Slider Day as a special tribute to the fans who share that appreciation for the slider and share their Cravings with us," White Castle VP Jamie Richardson, said in a press release. Our goal is to continue to grow and stretch our overall profitability and business revenue. Indiana Landmarks then put it on the market for $70,000, where it sat for two years before it was finally purchased with a few stipulations, of course. Then we top it off with one perfect pickle. that sold tiny five-cent burgers, coffee, pie and Coca-Cola. White Castle still offers a value meal as it did when it first started. "Mr. Ingram helped found in 1921 the White Castle System, noted for its inexpensive burgers, years before [the] recent boom in hamburger chain operations," The New York Times reported in its obituary. Elaine Miseta and White Castle's second president E. W. Ingram, Jr. With Lisa in charge from the start of next year, the company appears to be in good hands. Billy Ingram was the cook and partner but later bought the White Castle company from Anderson in 1933. It is considered the world's first fast-food eatery. This business is controlled by descendants of Billy Ingram. White Castle has outlasted many competitors by adhering to the inherited management philosophies established by Edgar Waldo "Billy" Ingram. If someone said that feels corporate, thats the worst insult we can endure. While it might have sounded like bizarre fraternity hazing ritual, med student Bernard Flesche kept a journal of his burger and water diet, eating 20 to 24 of the small hamburgers a day. In 1921, real estate agent and insurance salesman Billy Ingram met Walt Anderson, a cook who owned three hamburger stands in . The third White Castle restaurant opened in Indianapolis, Indiana in 1927 and remained in operation until 1979, making it the longest continuously operating White Castle in the country at the time. MEET THE AMERICAN WHO INVENTED THE CRASH TEST DUMMY, A LIFE-SAVING INNOVATION, "White Castles rise to cult status was nothing short of miraculous," raved burger enthusiast and "Howard Stern Show" radio personality Jon Hein in the debut episode of TV program "Fast Food Mania.". Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. It probably didn't hurt though that his manager is friends with the company's CEO Bill Ingram. Charles D Kamer. He leaves the helm of a company much bigger than the one he inherited. The chain currently has just under 400 locations. Distributing Plant in Vandalia, Ohio, on April 30, 2014. . This refusal to franchise hasn't come without a cost, of course. The Ingrams 'worship the past,' says David Gerard Hogan, professor of history at Heidelberg University and author of Selling 'Em by the Sack: White Castle and the Creation of American Food. (Courtesy White Castle). People looked at hamburgers as being greasy health hazards on par with eating arsenic. White Castle made rock icon Alice Cooper a throne of White Castle burgers to celebrate his ascension into the brand's Cravers Hall of Fame. Despite its relatively modest size, White Castle is holding its own. While touting the safety of White Castle hamburgers was something its founders didn't take lightly, maintaining a clean image was of equal importance. One of the more bizarre moments in White Castle's history involves being pulled into some political mudslinging between Texas Senator Ted Cruz, 2020 presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke, and Texas burger mainstay Whataburger. We dont have the budget of big network buys, but we know our customers well. Kentucky Fried Chicken (now KFC) opened in 1930; Dairy Queen in 1940; and Jack in the Box in 1951, among others. (Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg via Getty Images). The tiny burgers, about 2 inches square, are still sizzled in onions today, the top bun steaming on top of the patty largely unchanged from the way Anderson cooked them years before. Some of his teammates scoffed down four or five cheeseburger sliders at a time. White Castle Systems, Inc. P.O. While most of us don't have the athletic prowess or musical accolades to land us a spot in a sports or music hall of fame, almost anyone can eat a hamburger. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER, Millions of American teenagers who had never heard of the regional brand were turned onto the magic of White Castle by the Beastie Boys in their celebrated 1986 debut album "Licensed to Ill.". Two years from today, what do you expect? Couple find note in chimney that reveals their 290,000 house was 100 times cheaper 50 years ago. In just the past 20 years, sales have more than doubled to $675 million, Throughout its existence, White Castle has been a private company and relied on company-owned stores. It is known for its small, square hamburgers, 'I'm ready,' said E.W. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. We see it as less about marketing and more about conversations. Every inch of the grill was dedicated for either the bread or the beef in small, square patties. How much was a White Castle hamburger in 1970? We seek to make a difference in our communities by feeding hunger, hopes and dreams, Ingram said. The tiny square burgers are steam grilled on a bed of onions and served on a square bun with a slice of pickle. . This site is operated by a business or businesses owned by Informa PLC and all copyright resides with them. Ingram-White Castle Team Member Scholarships. The first White Castle location. The ground beef balls were then squashed and flipped over before a bun and pickle were added. "Billy" Ingram, founded White Castle in 1921, making it the world's first quick-service burger concept. By the time his son, Edgar, took over in 1966, White Castle had sold a billion burgers. Title page for Upton Sinclair's "The Jungle," 1906. All rights reserved. We strive to keep White Castle relevant and quirky and fun., Relevancy includes introducing the plant-based Impossible Slider in 2018 and robotic fryers this year, and quirky includes the movie series spawned by 2004s Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle.. Legal Statement. Fun stories about food, relationships, the great outdoors and more. With just $700, Edgar Waldo "Billy" Ingram and Walter Anderson opened a tiny white, castle-looking burger shack in Wichita, Kansas. The original Craver, Billy Ingram, founded White Castle in 1921 and created an American icon that is still family-owned today. The old White Castle logo when Billy Ingram and Walter Anderson first opened their very first White Castle in 1921. Richardson: I would beg to differ. White Castle places great stock in cultivating some of its workers. In 1947, White Castle modified its famous Slider, adding five holes to speed cooking and add flavor. The innovative fry cook held the key to the future of American food. Old White Castle employee checklists show that employees were to maintain a strict code of appearance. Were adding about three locations a year, including three or five in 2020. (Photo by Todd Plitt/Getty Images). Mr Ingram likes to think of himself as a risk-taker. Registered in England and Wales. In fact, we have 1.2 million followers on Facebook. The fast food chain was founded in Wichita, Kansas, in 1921. The History of White Castle. "In 1916, Anderson developed a different method of preparing a hamburger sandwich by flattening a ball of ground meat and cooking it with onions on a hot griddle for a short period of time," writes the Kansas Business Hall of fame. The average White Castle executive compensation is $236,945 a year.The median estimated compensation for executives at White Castle including base salary and bonus is $237,825, or $114 per hour. They were closed in the 1960s because they were too far away from White Castle's supply chains in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic states. In 1934 he moved the company headquarters to Columbus, Ohio. "Billy changed the way world eats by making hot, tasty food affordable for the masses," said Richardson, company spokesperson. Americans are expected to spend about $333 billion on fast food in 2022. Responsible for all financial aspects . 99%. "I am not only in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, but Im also in the White Castle Cravers Hall of Fame," Cooper boasted to Fox News Digital. Elaine Miseta and White Castle's second president E. W. Ingram, Jr. Like most burger outlets, White Castle has introduced delivery. World hot-dog eating champion and food legend Joey Chestnut is a White Castle enthusiast. (Getty Images). Looking at those who aren't general managers, Indeed indicated that White Castle's cashiers and team members make $10.52 to $11.42 an hour. ", "Every inch of the grill was dedicated for either the bread or the beef in small, square patties.". "Billy" Ingram, is stepping down from his role as CEO at the end of the year. On average, employees at White Castle stay with the company for 3.0 years. And Lisa Ingram, White Castles CEO, president and chairwoman of the board, is leading the 360-unit Columbus, Ohio-based quick-service brand known for its sliders into its second century with an emphasis on its culture. It remains privately held today, and its restaurants, all in the U.S., are all company owned; none is franchised.