. Jan. 11, 2021. 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. Ingram's great grandfather, E.W. Hooray! AKA Walter L. Anderson. Now it would sound weird the idea that your experience there should be the same every single time and that every customer gets the exact same food over and over again. He invested $700, they formed White Castle and they opened their first eatery together in 1921 on Main Street in Wichita. In a sea of fast food competitors, White Castle stands out of the pack. Ingram, Jr. made an $11 million gift, providing additional resources for grantmaking. Started in 1921, by Edgar Waldo "Billy" Ingram, a Wichita real estate and insurance agent and Walt Anderson, who created a tiny, square hamburger. Grinning and bearing it? To this day, after almost a hundred years, this family-owned restaurant is still going. It was back in 1921 when Billy Ingram took out a $700 loan and, with friend Walt Anderson, opened a shack in Wichita, Kans. People looked at hamburgers as being greasy health hazards on par with eating arsenic. 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. We dont have the budget of big network buys, but we know our customers well. Today, the burgers are cooked by placing 36 frozen beef patties on a griddle over a bed of onions and water. (Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg via Getty Images). "Billy" Ingram, launched the brand in 1921 with $700 and 5-cent sliders, innovating such platforms as carry-out with the tagline "Buy 'Em by the Sack . Even its burger cooking process is a little strange. White Castle continued to expand and innovate. 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. At the turn of the new century, White Castle has continued to grow, with the expansion plan of opening 20 to 25 outlets each year. But the meat industry nationwide had fallen on hard times as Ingram and Anderson looked to grow White Castle. "Billy" Ingram, is stepping down from his role as CEO at the end of the year. 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. We believe voting is a right of responsible citizenship, and we want all our team members to have that opportunity.. Meat shortages, government-imposed price ceilings, and wage freezes continued . Legal Statement. Columbus CEO reported that 98.6 percent of all of White Castle's 450 employees in general management or higher roles worked their way up from behind a White Castle restaurant counter. . When Billy Ingram moved White Castle's headquarters to Columbus, he knew he wanted to give beyond the burger. Tricky emoji quiz will put your knowledge of childhood classics to the test. Another fourth-generation family member is Dave Rife, a White Castle assistant vice president who appeared on the show "Undercover Boss." His original slider hamburger cost just 5 cents 101 years ago. While the rise ofmicro-holidays filling up social media might cause some to roll their eyes, these goofy holidays do have their perks. Still, Bill Ingram leaves the helm of a company much bigger than the one he inherited. When Billy Ingram retried to Florida in 1958, White Castle briefly opened a few locations in Miami. Number 8860726. Title page for Upton Sinclair's "The Jungle," 1906. White Castle has had its share of imitators over the years, with most of its competition becoming just a footnote in fast food history. The only other time White Castle units close is on Christmas. For those who have truly taken their love of burgers to the next level specifically White Castle sliders the White Castle Cravers Hall of Fame awaits. While Chicken Littles and Burger Bundles are long gone, White Castle also saw smaller burger joints pop up that were brazen enough to rip off the White Castle name and building design. Their first hamburger building was inspired by the design of Chicago's Water Tower - in the shape of a castle. Why? This business is controlled by descendants of Billy Ingram. And the biggest challenge is, how do you do that in a way that is more sustainable for your business. They are now married. How much was a White Castle hamburger in 1970? According to Forbes, Ingram's net worth is now $4.2 billion, up from $3.9 billion last year. Moment woman pedestrian, 49, swore at 77-year-old cycling on the pavement who then veered into road and was Are you allowing your bank to rip you off? "It's easier to get into Harvard than the Cravers Hall of Fame," said White Castle spokesman Jamie Richardson. Credit or blame, as the case may be entrepreneur Billy Ingram. Ingram, Jr. and the father of fourth-generation leader Lisa Ingram. 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. It is known for its small, square hamburgers, 'I'm ready,' said E.W. Ahh, that explains it. Getting into this mecca of steamed burger greatness isn't an easy feat though. It called Ingram "the man who parlayed a 5-cent hamburger into a $36 million chain.". With Lisa in charge from the start of next year, the company appears to be in good hands. Edgar Waldo "Billy" Ingram, born in Colorado in 1880, opened a White Castle in 1921 and changed American eating habits forever. During college in Dallas, she waited tables at Snuffers Bar and Grill before entering the field of marketing. In fact, thousands of people have applied for admission since 2001, but just 227 have been accepted. "I chill at White Castle cause its the best." Although White Castle's sales rebounded immediately after the war in 1946, this good fortune was short lived. Heres what Jamie Richardson, vice president of Marketing, based in its home office in Columbus, Ohio, said about its growth. (Courtesy White Castle), He added, "[White Castle] had these efficiencies built into it that really spoke to the fascinations of the era. He recently ordered 50 sliders at a Las Vegas White Castle just for fun. American businessman Dave Rife has an estimated net worth of $100 million in 2012. Edgar Waldo "Billy" Ingram was born in humble circumstances in Leadville, Colorado, in 1880. The company was founded in Wichita, Kansas, yet you won't find a single White Castle there. after 99 years, located in Bloomington, Minnesota. Two years from today, what do you expect? How fitting! Way back in 1933, the company packed up and moved its main headquarters to Columbus, Ohio where it has remained ever since. At White Castle, the most compensated executive makes $700,000, annually, and the lowest compensated makes $50,000. White Castle originated in Wichita. It partners with a slew of vendors including GrubHub, Uber Eats, DoorDash and Postmates. All rights reserved. He recently ordered 50 sliders at a Las Vegas White Castle just for fun. White Castle burgers and fries. For example, at a White Castle in Brooklyn, New York, its classic burger, really a slider, costs 85 each, its small French . "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. Understandably, White Castle didn't exactly agree with Clifford. We use cookies to enhance your experience on our website. The Colorado native founded the world's first burger chain, White Castle, in Wichita, Kansas, in 1921. Jun 2000 - Present22 years 9 months. The White Castle Story: The Birth Of Fast Food & The Burger Revolution (consumerist.com). Columbus, Ohio Area. 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). 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. In just the past 20 years, sales have more than doubled to $675 million and the chain added about 100 stores. White Castle founder Billy Ingram at the grill. With just $700, Edgar Waldo "Billy" Ingram and Walter Anderson opened a tiny white, castle-looking burger shack in Wichita, Kansas. Billy Ingram was followed as the head of the company by his son Edgar.W. 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. The Smithereens recorded the song "White Castle Blues" in 1986, a novelty in their breakout year. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! The book caused a sensation with its depiction of conditions in the meatpacking industry. Billy became really intrigued by this idea of the hamburger sandwich. "W e first opened our doors in Wichita, Kansas, in March of 1921. It is known for its small, square hamburgers referred to as "sliders". We have a presence in all 50 states in grocery stores, where were in all major supermarkets like Sams Club and Wal-Mart. Slider cravings with the late night crowd don't seem to be entirely the stuff of Hollywood fiction either. Local burger cook Walter Anderson (left) and entrepreneur Billy Ingram founded White Castle in Wichita, Kansas, in 1921. 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. 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. Billy bought out Anderson in 1933 and moved the operation to Columbus a year later. By contrast McDonalds has around 37,800 global locations and Burger King around 13,000. POPEYES THANKSGIVING TURKEY AVAILABLE FOR DOOSTEP DELIVERY FOR 1ST TIME. 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. At least as far as romantics who like to spend February 14 dining over fast food are concerned. Walter Anderson and Edgar Waldo "Billy" Ingram, Sr., formed the White Castle System of Eating Houses Corporation in Wichita, Kansas, in 1921. So here's the problem with loving White Castle or any fast food restaurant for that matter a little too much. The comments below have not been moderated. The patties of today also have small holes punched into them thanks to a suggestion from employee Earl Howell in 1954. In . 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. The entry-level wages paid to White Castle employees compare favorably with those at other fast-food chains. 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 . Inside Frogmore Cottage: Plush home Harry and Meghan have been 'evicted' from by King Charles boasts a roomy Charles evicting Harry and Meghan is the act of a King putting his country first: REBECCA ENGLISH reveals A royal princess at Eton? Vegan-friendly dishes might not be an uncommon addition to the menus of many sit-down restaurants, but the fast food industry has been a little slower to adapt to this growing market. (Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images). So with all of this commitment to cleanliness and history behind it, opening a White Castle franchise seems like an awesome idea, right? The company is slowly changing. And to this day, its still a family-run business since Billys great-granddaughter Lisa Ingram serves as White Castles president and CEO. 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. In 1933, Walter Anderson sold out all his interests in White Castle to Billy Ingram for $340,000. It was some pretty strange trash talking and more than a little confusing to a lot Texans who were quick to proclaim on social media just how much they enjoyed triple meat Whataburgers. White Castle is holding its own. Some of his teammates scoffed down four or five cheeseburger sliders at a time. Ingram is the great-granddaughter of White Castle founder Billy Ingram, per Forbes, and Columbus Business First noted . "I can't even tell you the multiple on social," said Bartley. Meanwhile, White Castle continues to expand its Craver Nation. Long story short, Coastal Castle no longer exists. Unless you've been living under a rock, you know "vegan"has become a major buzz word in the food industry in the last several years. He leaves the helm of a company much bigger than the one he inherited. Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group, HEALTH NOTES: More workers hit the bottle to beat stress. The company wants to maintain "semi-localized" menu offerings and keep restaurant locations within close proximity to its supply facilities. On May 15, 2019, the burger chain celebrated the holiday by offering its Cravers a free slider. That's hardly the case, however, and the company remains incredibly selective about which markets it chooses to move into. 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. When Lisa becomes CEO, it will be fresh bloody, but hardly news blood at the 94-year-old chain. 8 Is A Historic Landmark. burgers and sliders. 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