White Castle Surpasses 6 Billion Retail Sliders Sold

COLUMBUS, Ohio, March 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- White Castle, founded in 1921 and known as the nation's first fast-food hamburger chain, has recently achieved some major milestones in its retail division, further strengthening its position as a leader in the consumer packaged goods industry as well as in the restaurant industry.

The retail division of the family-owned business sold its 6^th billionth retail Slider at the end of 2021 and achieved record sales last year. In fact, 20% of its total historic sales have come in the past three years alone. The division is poised for continued growth as it celebrates its 35^th anniversary and expands its manufacturing capacity in 2022.

"Retail sales have grown steadily since we launched the division in 1987, but they have really taken off in the past decade and even more so the past few years," said Tiffany Carreker, general manager and vice president of sales for White Castle's retail division. "Our Cravers love our Sliders, whether they're made at a restaurant or purchased from the freezer section at their local store."

To keep up with the growing demand for its frozen Sliders, White Castle broke ground last summer on a major expansion of its retail food manufacturing plant in Vandalia, Ohio, near Dayton. The company is investing $27 million in the project, which should be complete by June. The expansion doubles the size of the plant from approximately 75,000 square feet to 150,000 square feet.

During the groundbreaking ceremony, White Castle officials named the plant "The House That Bill Built" in honor of former president and CEO Bill Ingram, a third-generation family member who served as president from 1980 to 2015 and was responsible for creating and expanding the retail division.

When White Castle introduced its retail division in 1987, it became the first fast-food restaurant to offer its menu items for purchase at grocery stores for preparation at home. Today, "The House That Bill Built" supplies packaged Sliders to retailers, large and small, in all 50 states.

"White Castle decided at the outset that an investment in the retail supply chain is the best way to ensure quality and taste for customers," said Dave Rife, chief manufacturing officer and fourth generation family member. "The additional manufacturing capacity coming online this year will allow us to bring even more Sliders to our Cravers nationwide."

White Castle's retail division also introduced a new menu item, the Chicken & Cheese Slider, late last year. Until then, White Castle's top-selling non-beef Slider was available only in its Castles. The rollout continues with wide acceptance among major food retailers nationwide for the popular Slider made with all white meat topped with American cheese. The Chicken & Cheese Slider joins five other craveable varieties of White Castle Sliders available in grocers' freezers: Original Sliders, Classic Cheese Sliders, Jalapeño Cheese Sliders, Chicken Breast Sliders and the Sausage, Egg and Cheese Breakfast Slider.

White Castle, now in its 101^st year of business, will be celebrating the 35^th anniversary of its retail division this year with consumer activations during National Hamburger Month in May and through the rest of the year. The company will be sharing more details as they are available.

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 101 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 and sells its famous fare in retail stores nationwide. The Original Slider, named in 2014 as Time magazine's "Most Influential Burger of All Time," is served alongside a menu of creatively crafted Sliders and other mouthwatering food options, including White Castle's Impossible^™ Slider, named by Thrillist in 2019 as the "Best Plant-Based Fast Food Burger." 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. In 2021, 100 years after the first Slider was sold, Fast Company named the fast-food pioneer one of the "10 Most Innovative Dining Companies." 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. 

SOURCE White Castle