White Castle, the creator of the beloved Sliders sold at eponymous restaurants and in grocery aisles nationwide, has been celebrating its 100th birthday throughout 2021. The family-owned business has thrown star-studded virtual parties and showered customers with giveaways galore. This month, White Castle shines a light on the people powering the “Crave” — its team members — by continuing a time-honored tradition.
On Sept. 23, White Castle will add 68 team members to its 25-Year Club, an honor reserved for those who have worked for White Castle for 25 years.
“The 25-Year Club ceremony is one of our most special and proud traditions,” said Lisa Ingram, president and CEO of White Castle. “On behalf of our family of 10,000, I congratulate and thank each of our inductees for their tireless work and invaluable contributions to White Castle.”
White Castle founder, Billy Ingram, began with just four team members in March of 1921. Today, with his great-granddaughter Lisa at the helm, the national restaurant and consumer-packaged goods business has a workforce of 10,000. These team members work in restaurants, retail manufacturing plants, regional restaurant operations and the Columbus-based home office.
“My great-grandfather, Billy, believed that happy employees make happy customers, and that has remained our core focus for 100 years,” said Lisa Ingram. “Team member tenure at White Castle is unprecedented in our industry, and that loyalty absolutely goes both ways.”
In 1946, Billy Ingram became the first member of the 25-Year Club. For 75 years since, White Castle has honored team members reaching 25 years with an all-expense-paid trip to the home office in Columbus, an extravagant event and an extra-special gift of an engraved gold watch. With the 2020 induction delayed due to the pandemic, 2021 will welcome two classes into this illustrious club. In all, 68 team members will be celebrated, bringing the total membership to 2,160.
White Castle’s extraordinary track record of team member engagement and loyalty was further validated in May 2021 when the business earned its Great Place to Work®Certification™. The distinguished certification was granted following a team member survey in which 81% said that White Castle is a great place to work, a full 22 percentage points above the 59% average for U.S.-based companies.
White Castle has also celebrated its 10,000-strong workforce during its 100th birthday year with $100,000 in college scholarships awarded to team members and their dependents. In early September, the business announced a month-long program to thank its own team members who opt for the vaccine: $100,000 in cash prizes.
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 350 restaurants dedicated to satisfying customers’ cravings morning, noon and night. Through its retail division, which launched in 1987, White Castle also offers its famous fare in freezer aisles of grocery, convenience and club stores nationwide. 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 also for its faithful fans (“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 at 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.