Franchise FAQ

does white castle have a franchise

by Mr. Kiel Lowe Published 1 year ago Updated 1 year ago
image

Overview. White Castle does not actually franchise, it has subsidiaries that are privately owned. White Castle expands very carefully and deliberately, using earmarked earnings to fund construction and not stretching too far geographically away from the company's resources.

Full Answer

See more

image

Can you own a White Castle franchise?

UNFORTUNATELY, WHITE CASTLE IS NOT A FRANCHISE. THIS HAMBURGER CHAIN IS PRIVATELY OWNED AND THIS IS MOST LIKELY DUE TO MAINTAINING CLOSE CONTROL OF THE STORES. The company's first location was a small stand that sold burgers for five cents each.

Who owns the White Castle company?

Lisa IngramAnd to this day, it's still a family-run business since Billy's great-granddaughter Lisa Ingram serves as White Castle's president and CEO. But while McDonald's and the two other burger chains dominate the American landscape, White Castle, with about 375 locations in 14 states, remains a niche chain.

Who is White Castles biggest competitor?

White Castle competitors include In-N-Out Burger, Raising Cane's, McDonald's, KFC and Burger King. White Castle ranks 2nd in Diversity Score on Comparably vs its competitors.

How old is White Castle franchise?

White Castle is an American hamburger chain with 377 locations across 13 states, mostly in the Midwest and New York metropolitan area. The company was started on September 13, 1921, and is widely regarded as the world's first fast-food hamburger restaurant.

Is White Castle burgers horse meat?

"It's called a Meat Horn." White Castle starts with a stack of 100% beef ("We call that a beef log," said Richardson) that then goes through the Meat Horn, which puts the holes in the log. The patties are then sliced and sent out to White Castles across the nation ready to be steamed.

Why are there 5 holes in White Castle burgers?

The crave-worthy sliders have five holes in the patties. According to CBS News, this is so the burger can be thoroughly cooked through faster without having to flip it over. The idea to incorporate these holes came from an employee suggestion back in 1954.

What is the number 1 burger chain in America?

McDonald'sThe largest burger chains in the U.S.RankChain name2019 U.S. units1McDonald's13,8465Burger King7,3467Wendy's5,85213Sonic Drive-In3,52622 more rows•May 13, 2020

What state has the most White Castles?

The state with the most number of White Castle locations in the US is Illinois, with 62 locations, which is about 17% of all White Castle locations in the US.

Why are there so few White Castles?

Unlike other burger joints, White Castle's ownership has strict control, even though the restaurant has nationwide marketing and advertising campaigns. White Castles are only available in 11 states, and the company attributes its very controlled growth over time to being family owned.

How much was a White Castle hamburger in 1970?

In 1970, your burger cost an average of $0.18.

How much did a White Castle hamburger cost in 1921?

5 centsWhite Castle opened its first restaurant in Wichita, Kansas, in 1921 and sold its burgers for only 5 cents. During the 1930s prices increased slowly.

Does White Castle have stock?

White Castle Franchise Cost / Initial Investment / Income In fact, White Castle does not even sell public stock.

Is White Castle a family owned business?

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.

Who is the current CEO of White Castle?

E. W. Ingram III (1992–)White Castle / CEO

Who is Dave Rife?

Meet Dave Rife. You may remember him from episode two of season one of “Undercover Boss,” when he went undercover at the White Castle fast-food burger chain. Rife just so happens to be the grandson of White Castle's founder and he was essentially born to become one of its bosses.

Does White Castle have stock?

White Castle Franchise Cost / Initial Investment / Income In fact, White Castle does not even sell public stock.

What is White Castle famous for?

The famous hamburger chain White Castle, known for its square-shaped greasy sliders and for being the first fast-food burger chain , was immortalized in the 2004 stoner buddy romp Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle. White Castle's restaurants, modeled after the Chicago Water Tower and traditionally made of porcelain, reflect a clean and consistent aesthetic that speaks to the quality of the food that consumers can expect from each and every visit to this elusive den of tasty sliders.

Why is White Castle not expanding?

Surprisingly, the reason White Castle doesn't expand (and use the franchise model to do so) isn't so much that they hope to keep their restaurants as elusive as the famous Harold & Kumar buddy movie would suggest. It's actually that White Castle's core offering of quality food and semi-localized menu options at low cost demands that its restaurants be located near its supply facilities. And guess what? Building out or sourcing new facilities to support dramatic expansion across the country would require a huge investment (and, most likely, external capital and investor scrutiny). So, don't hold your breath.

Is White Castle owned by McDonald's?

Unlike other burger joints, White Castle’s ownership has strict control, even though the restaurant has nationwide marketing and advertising campaigns. White Castles are only available in 11 states, and the company attributes its very controlled growth over time to being family owned. It has been reported that, on average, White Castle opens just 10 new stores each year (compared to well over a thousand per year for McDonald's).

Does White Castle have a franchise?

Despite its founders being credited with inventing the hamburger bun and pioneering the kitchen assembly line model that allowed so many fast food franchise opportunities to thrive, White Castle franchise opportunities don't exist and the company doesn' t expand at nearly the same rate as other popular restaurants. But with no public shareholders to answer to, White Castle has no external pressure to generate faster rates of growth -- so why rock the boat?

Is White Castle hard to find?

In addition to their unique look and menu, White Castle restaurants are known for being hard to find, as referenced by the epic, night-long journey of our aforementioned stoner pals.So , why is one of the nation’s most talked-about fast food restaurants, with its cult-like following, absolutely nowhere to be found on most street corners? Why haven't White Castle's owners franchised their burger concept, extending their greasy goodness into all corners of the country?

Why is White Castle not franchised?

The primary reason provided by the company is that White Castle remains committed to focusing on being the best that it can be instead of worrying about extensive widespread growth. White Castle representatives frequently talk about growing market share, sales and profitability in existing stores, rather than relying on franchise opportunities to grow its numbers.

How many White Castle locations are there?

These days, White Castle has more than 375 locations spread across 13 states. That's obviously a tiny fraction of McDonald's 37,000-plus locations around the globe and Burger King's 13,000 worldwide locations. The company has plans to open a new location in Orlando, Florida, in 2021, expanding the chain to 14 states.

What is the byword for White Castle?

That’s right — “crave” is officially the byword for the brand, and the company loves to make entrepreneurs crave franchise opportunities just as much as customers crave the burgers.

How many calories are in a White Castle hamburger?

Critics of White Castle suggest that its hamburgers aren’t a good part of a sensible diet. However, each burger only has 140 calories each and contains about the same amount of protein as one egg. Eaten in moderation, White Castle burgers don't disrupt your healthy lifestyle and diet.

Where is White Castle hamburgers located?

People on the East Coast and in the Midwest have raved about White Castle restaurants and White Castle hamburgers for years. Today, the family-owned business has expanded its restaurant locations to include cities and towns in the Western U.S. and the South. The company recently launched new restaurants in Scottsdale, Arizona, and Las Vegas.

When did Anderson leave White Castle?

The pair achieved success in the following years, and Anderson ultimately decided to take his share of the profits and leave the business in 1933. Ingram kept the chain going under his family's control until his death in 1966, when his sons took over the chain. Photo Courtesy: Mashed.com. White Castle Locations.

Is White Castle a selective business?

White Castle is fairly selective about how it grows the business and chooses its locations based on significant demographic data. The most recent restaurant openings were based on an understanding of top tourist locations in the U.S. White Castle Products.

How many restaurants will White Castle have in 2020?

While the opening of a couple of restaurants may not sound like news for a branded burger chain, it's worth remembering that when the Forbes piece came out in January 2020, White Castle only had 345 restaurants. To facilitate further openings, White Castle includes a real estate acquisition process on their website.

Where is White Castle in 2021?

On March 16, 2021, Restaurant Business noted that White Castle would soon open a new location in Orlando, Florida. Nor is this an abnormality, as in 2019, White Castle opened a restaurant in Scottsdale, Arizona — the first White Castle in the western half of the United States.

Can you open a White Castle franchise?

However, you can't. The issue with opening a White Castle franchise, unlike with other chains, isn't that it's too expensive for most to open — it's because White Castle doesn't offer franchise agreements to begin with, a fact easily verified with a quick look at their website, which lacks the usually-present franchise information page.

Who was responsible for the success of White Castle?

Ingram's business savvy not only was responsible for White Castle's success but for the popularization of the hamburger. On January 14, 2014, Time labeled the White Castle slider as the most influential burger of all time.

Why did White Castle close?

The company closed the Florida operations in 1967 due to inefficient supply distribution.

How many hamburgers are in a white castle crave case?

White Castle also markets its sandwiches in 30-hamburger boxes, called a Crave Case. The figure of 30 burgers represents the number that can be produced on one of its standard grills at the same time. A "Crave Crate" is also offered, with the contents being 100 burgers.

Where did Ingram's White Castle headquarters relocate?

Ingram decided the central office should be in the center of the distribution area, and in 1936, relocated the central office to Columbus, Ohio. That same year, Ingram decided to close all of the restaurants in the two smallest-profit markets, Wichita and Omaha .

Where was the White Castle in Kansas?

Anderson and Ingram started with only $700 for the original White Castle in Wichita, Kansas. The original location was the northwest corner of First and Main; the building is no longer standing.

When did the White Castle System start publishing its own magazine?

The company also began publishing its own internal employee magazine, the White Castle Official House Organ, circa November 1925 (it was originally named The Hot Hamburger ). The bulk of the material was contributed by company personnel and consisted mostly of letters and photographs of workers, promotional announcements, 25-year milestones, retirements, and similar items of interest arranged by geographic area. "Employees could... read about the progress and innovations made by those in other areas which made everyone aware of the entire system's direction and condition." The White Castle Official House Organ was published quarterly at least through the early 1980s, and at some point was renamed The Slider Times. The Ohio Historical Society houses an extensive archive of White Castle System, Inc. records from 1921 to 1991, including issues dating from 1927 to 1970 of the White Castle Official House Organ.

Is White Castle burger meat free?

In 2018, White Castle began offering meat-free Impossible Burgers designed to closely mimic the flavor and texture of be ef burgers.

Why is the White Castle called the White Castle?

The two men purposely decided on the color white along with porcelain countertops and stainless steel appliances because it gave the budding business a sense of cleanliness.

Who is the CMO of White Castle?

White Castle CMO, Kim Bartley hasn't released any official sales numbers, but said the test market more than doubled its goals thanks largely to social media buzz. "I can't even tell you the multiple on social," said Bartley.

Why didn't White Castle get a hot dog stand?

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. Krispy Kreme eventually backed out of the idea and a fictional hot dog stand was swapped in place before reaching out to White Castle executives who loved the idea.

Where did the fast food empire start?

What might surprise you is that this fast food empire all began with lil' old White Castle back in 1921. With just $700, Edgar Waldo "Billy" Ingram and Walter Anderson opened a tiny white, castle-looking burger shack in Wichita, Kansas. The burger chain almost didn't even happen because Ingram had plans to go into the insurance business, but only decided to switch gears after meeting Anderson and being convinced that hamburgers were the way to go. It was the company's speedy service of feeding customers with sacks of five-cent hamburgers cooked to an exact specification at each location that led to the creation of fast food, according to the company's own historical records.

When did the White Castle close in Kansas?

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 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.

Is White Castle a dollar menu?

It doesn't incorporate the food it serves into its name, it isn't named after the founder, and there is no dollar menu. Even its burger cooking process is a little strange.

Is there a strict code of appearance at Old White Castle?

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. Old White Castle employee checklists show that employees were to maintain a strict code of appearance. Besides the standard of cleanly washed hands and trimmed fingernails, employees were expected to be clean shaven and have their hair neatly combed and tucked under their hat. Even bad breath was a no-no.

How Many White Castle Locations Are There

There are currently 352 White Castle locations that are located within fourteen different states and 215 cities.

What States Are White Castle Located

The majority of White Castle restaurants are located within the Midwest, Tennesee, and Kentucky or the New York-New Jersey area.

What States Do No Have White Castle

There are 34 States that do not have a White Castle Restaurant, they are.

What State Has The Most White Castles

Illinois has the most White Castle locations coming in with 63 White Castle restaurants which are 17% of the entire White Castle franchise in the United States.

Is White Castle Worldwide

You may be surprised to discover that White Castle is worldwide with two locations located outside of the United States.

Where Is The Largest White Castle

The world’s largest White Castle is one of its newest restaurants located in Orlando, Florida.

Where Is The Oldest White Castle

The oldest existing White Castle location is located in Indianapolis, Indiana.

image
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9