White Castle Turns 105. Here's How a Wichita Burger Stand Built an Empire.

Fast food wasn't always part of the American landscape.

There was a time before drive-thrus, combo meals, and the ability to acquire a cheeseburger without ever leaving the car.

Then, in 1921, a tiny white restaurant opened in Wichita, Kansas.

The burgers were small, square, and inexpensive.

But, the idea turned out to be considerably bigger.

White Castle is celebrating its 105th birthday this year, which means those little Sliders have now been around longer than sliced bread.

White Castle Turns 105: The Story Behind the Sliders

White Castle’s history begins in 1921, when Walt Anderson and Billy Ingram opened the first restaurant in Wichita.

At the time, hamburgers didn't exactly have today's reputation.

Anderson and Ingram built their restaurants around cleanliness, consistency, and an extremely simple menu.

Eventually, those little burgers became the foundation of a fast-food chain.

And they stayed little.

More than a century later, White Castle's 105th anniversary brings the story right back to those modest beginnings in Wichita.

The Slider Got Some Very Important Holes

White Castle’s Sliders’ origin story got even better in 1947.

That's when the restaurant’s operator, Earl Howell, came up with the idea of putting five holes in each square patty.

The holes helped the thin burgers cook faster over onions without needing to be flipped.

It's an oddly specific innovation, but it seems five strategically placed holes can have quite a career.

White Castle later took another unusual step in 1987, becoming the first fast-food chain to sell its burgers in grocery stores.

White Castle Is Still a Family Business

For a company that's been around since Warren G. Harding was president, White Castle has remained remarkably close to its roots.

Billy Ingram's great-granddaughter, Lisa Ingram, is White Castle's CEO and the fourth generation of the family to lead the business. She took over the top job in 2016.

More than a century after her great-grandfather helped start the company, White Castle remains in the family.

Today, it's headquartered in Columbus, Ohio.

People Really Love Their Sliders

White Castle doesn't simply have customers.

It has Cravers.

In fact, the White Castle Cravers Hall of Fame has been honoring particularly devoted fans since 2001.

Getting in requires considerably more enthusiasm than occasionally picking up lunch.

Past honorees have earned their place through road trips, family traditions, love stories, and other impressive displays of Slider devotion.

Even Stan Lee made the cut.

The 105-Year-Old Castle Isn't Done Experimenting

After more than a century, White Castle is still finding new ways to sell a very old burger.

The company is planning to expand its White Castle Crave & Go kiosks, which are automated machines that can serve hot Sliders without a traditional restaurant.

It's quite a leap from that little Wichita burger stand.

And perhaps that's the fun of White Castle at 105.

The restaurants have moved, the technology has changed, and the burgers can now pop out of a machine.

Yet, 105 years later, White Castle is still making a very big deal out of a very small burger.

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