. 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. May . Founded in 1921 by Billy Ingram, Ohio-based White Castle made the term slider a national food item. In 1949, he founded what would become the Ingram White Castle Foundation, which has . I'm a Feng Shui expert and these are the three things I will never allow in a bedroom. . (Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg via Getty Images). Most of his fortune is amassed from serving as the Assistant Vice President for White Castle System, Inc. Dave Rife started working for White Castle System, Inc. at a young age. "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. Started in 1921, by Edgar Waldo "Billy" Ingram, a Wichita real estate and insurance agent and Walt Anderson, who created a tiny, square hamburger. Following Frist at No. Informa PLC's registered office is 5 Howick Place, London SW1P 1WG. A White Castle burger still sold for just 10 cents at the turn of the 1950s. More recently, White Castle partnered with the National Restaurant Association Education Foundation with a new relief fund, Change Is on the Menu, and donated money through a narration of Twas the Night Before Cravemas by Oscar winner Richard Dreyfuss. The Ingram family tries not to talk about the business of sliders over Christmas dinner. White Castle has also managed to punch above to build a legacy among its many loyal fans in pop culture. Richardson: I think the growth will come in marketshare. 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. His birth date and place are unknown in the media. (White Castle made $738.3 million in 2019, according to The Business Journals.) 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. In fact, the good people of Kansas haven't had a White Castle of their own in 80 years with the last location closing in 1938. In 1933, Walter Anderson sold out all his interests in White Castle to Billy Ingram for $340,000. 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. White Castle is private and family-owned, per Forbes, so it isn't selling shares of its business in a stock market. White Castle places great stock in cultivating some of its workers. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. 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. Ingram's great grandfather, E.W. "Yep. "We try to make sure we don't complicate the operation of individual restaurants,said Ingram's grandson, Bill Ingram. 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. World hot-dog eating champion and food legend Joey Chestnut is a White Castle enthusiast. "His hamburger sandwich proved popular enough for Anderson to open three hamburger stands in Wichita between 1916 and 1920.". To read more stories in this unique "Meet the American Who" series from Fox News Digital, click here. While they can't claim that they invented the burger that's a debate that still rages on they did sway Americans' opinion of the sandwich. Billy Ingram invested $700 in a Wichita, Kansas, burger joint in 1921 and helped inspire a global food phenomenon. 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. Richardson: Weve seen the Impossible slider be a welcome addition to our menu, and we have a vegan slider from Dr. Praegers. "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. The sliders are available in the frozen-food aisle of supermarkets in all 50 states. For having nearly a century of business under its belt, White Castle could certainly be one of the largest fast food chains in the United States, if not the world. Desperate fans have even go so far as launching numerous petitions, begging the company to come to their slider-free part of the country. 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. "It was seen as unsanitary. (Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg via Getty Images). The chain currently has just under 400 locations. The entry-level wages paid to White Castle employees compare favorably with those at other fast-food chains. Were still family-owned and dont seek the limelight as much, but social media has been a place where our followers are bigger than our footprint. Yet, price changes were inevitable. Catering To Cravers For 90 Years (familybusinessmagazine.com). "There was something authentic in the way the script described how people feel about our distinctive taste and the lengths they'll go to.". 414 is Martha Ingram, whose family controls Ingram Industries. Civic engagement was also highlighted in 2020 when White Castle closed all of its 24-hour restaurants between 7 a.m. and 11 a.m. on Election Day in November to give team members time to vote in the presidential contest. (Courtesy White Castle), He added, "[White Castle] had these efficiencies built into it that really spoke to the fascinations of the era. This refusal to franchise hasn't come without a cost, of course. How Rich Is The White Castle CEO And What's The Average Pay Of Its Employees. It probably didn't hurt that the company had Impossible launch parties with celebrities like Questlove and the Wu-Tang Clan. 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. Huh? You can order a slider for 85 cents. (Yes, it was a real insult to the hamburger.). 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. The New York City rappers shouted out the burger joint in five of the 13 tracks on the album; and again in a tune on their sophomore album "Pauls Boutique. Kessman was a frequent customer of White Castle for 50 years, but the diet of sliders eventually caused him to become so overweight that he could no longer wedge himself into his local Nanuet, New York, White Castle booth. As White Castle celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2021, the Ingram-White Castle . Not so fast, buddy! 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. In fact, we have 1.2 million followers on Facebook. 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. With just $700, Edgar Waldo "Billy" Ingram and Walter Anderson opened a tiny white, castle-looking burger shack in Wichita, Kansas. 4 the first shop the partners opened together. As for Flesche, well, he reportedly swore off burgers and died at 54 years old from heart problems many years after the experiment was complete. . How many new outlets did it open in 2019? Walt Anderson (AKA Walter L. Anderson) We're talking about fans of marijuana and White Castle's time in the Hollywood spotlight with the 2004 movie Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle. Dave Rife is an American businessman born in 1964, who is best known to the world as the Assistant Vice President & General Manager, White Castle, which is one of the first hamburger chains established in the US. Our goal is to continue to grow and stretch our overall profitability and business revenue. The only other time White Castle units close is on Christmas. White Castle burgers and fries. We use cookies to enhance your experience on our website. To this day, after almost a hundred years, this family-owned restaurant is still going. "Bill" Ingram III, who served for over 40 years before his daughter Lisa Ingram took . With their ironclad commitment to the integrity of White Castle food, it's safe to assume the burgers of today are identical to what Ingram and Anderson were serving up in 1921, right? This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The fourth White Castle, with the now familiar castle motif, in Wichita. 'I've always learned more from my mistakes than my so-called successes,' Bill told Forbes. 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. Its classic white castle buildings adorned cities starting in 1921 when it was started by Billy Ingram. This level of focus on cleanliness and appearance has carried over to the modern day White Castle as well. or redistributed. White Castle Building No. Elaine Miseta and retiring White Castle CEO Bill Ingram III pictured in 1982. After 100 years and four generations of family ownership, White Castle continues to remain an iconic symbol in the restaurant industry. Its 100% beef and we put the onions on the grill, then the 100% beef patty on the onions and the bun goes on top to absorb the flavor. Millions of dollars. White Castle did $847 million in sales in 2021. His son - Lisa's dad, Bill (E.W. 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. So with all of this commitment to cleanliness and history behind it, opening a White Castle franchise seems like an awesome idea, right? One way the Ingram-White Castle Foundation honors that legacy today is to help students achieve their educational dreams through scholarships. Some of his teammates scoffed down four or five cheeseburger sliders at a time. To throw a little bit of movie trivia at you, White Castle's starring role nearly didn't happen because the movie's screenwriters initially had the two friends searching for a Krispy Kreme doughnuts location to satisfy their munchies. WHITE CASTLE'S 1921 SLIDER LINEUP ADDS NEW BURGERS FOR LIMITED TIME. When Billy Ingram retried to Florida in 1958, White Castle briefly opened a few locations in Miami. White Castle still offers a value meal as it did when it first started. "We've spent 65 years building up a reputation and we do not intend to have other people capitalize on it," Gail Turley, White Castle's director of advertising said. On May 15, 2019, the burger chain celebrated the holiday by offering its Cravers a free slider. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. Distributing Plant in Vandalia, Ohio, on April 30, 2014. By the time Ray Krok turned it in 1955 into the fast food chain we know today, White Castle was well on its way to selling burger No. In 1921, real estate agent and insurance salesman Billy Ingram met Walt Anderson, a cook who owned three hamburger stands in . Each year a panel of judges comb through the thousands of entries and select up to a lucky dozen for inclusion. '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. He's considered the father of fast food. When Lisa becomes CEO, it will be fresh bloody, but hardly news blood at the 94-year-old chain. And since 2012s Hurricane Sandy, which devastated areas of the East Coast, White Castle has offered the Castle Shares Team Member Relief Program. The United States today is a fast food nation. Billy Ingram's hamburger empire was reduced to virtually half its previous size, with little hope for recovery. 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Anderson, who ran burger food stands at the time, to open the first White Castle restaurant location in 1921 . One man volunteered to help, and eat just his burgers for 13 weeks straight. Hooray! We believe voting is a right of responsible citizenship, and we want all our team members to have that opportunity.. In some ways, White Caslte is stuck in limbo. On average, employees at White Castle stay with the company for 3.0 years. ", The fourth White Castle, with the now familiar castle motif, in Wichita. Billy Ingram moved White Castle to Columbus in 1934 after buying out Anderson's share of the business. 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. POPEYES THANKSGIVING TURKEY AVAILABLE FOR DOOSTEP DELIVERY FOR 1ST TIME. Billy Ingram died in Columbus on May 20, 1966, after battling a short illness. Kentucky Fried Chicken (now KFC) opened in 1930; Dairy Queen in 1940; and Jack in the Box in 1951, among others. In the first few decades of the 20th century, burgers weren't just considered an unrefined food, but downright dangerous. White Castle has outlasted many competitors by adhering to the inherited management philosophies established by Edgar Waldo "Billy" Ingram. It owns all of its restaurants in the United States. This site is operated by a business or businesses owned by Informa PLC and all copyright resides with them. Richardson: They are steam-grilled on a bed of onions. Ingram was forced to not only mass-market his new concept, but to do so against the cultural headwinds of the time. Of course, enjoying a slider without a cold beverage to wash it down with is just wrong, so White Castle kicked in a free soda to sweeten up the deal. Today, if a Kansan gets a craving for a fresh White Castle slider they have to take a road trip to the nearest location in Columbia, Missouri. Richardson: Our biggest surprise of 2019 was delivery sales. Ingram, y a su nieto E. W. Ingram III. White Castle burgers and fries. In addition, were there for hungry families who want great food for a great price. Its revenue in 2018 rose 1.6%. He "parlayed a 5-cent hamburger into a $36 million chain." The Colorado native founded the world's first burger chain, White Castle, in Wichita, Kansas, . The Colorado native founded the world's first burger chain, White Castle, in Wichita, Kansas, in 1921. Now, Ingram had three burger stands in Wichita already, so when Ingram designed the iconic castle look, it was technically the fourth burger stand in the area. There, he became active in the Rotary Club and met local businessman and burger-shop owner Walter Anderson. (Courtesy White Castle). 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