May is National Hamburger Month in the United States of America, and White Castle has a lot to celebrate. Besides being the first fast food hamburger chain in the USA and the pioneer of the smaller-sized burger that ultimately became known as the Slider, the 101-year-old family-owned business has recently reached a significant milestone as sales of The Original Slider and Cheese Slider have surpassed 28 billion. That includes 22 billion Sliders sold in restaurants and another 6 billion sold through the company’s retail division.
“This is a memorable moment for us, and what better time to celebrate than National Hamburger Month,” said Jamie Richardson, vice president at Columbus, Ohio-headquartered White Castle. “We played an essential part in the introduction of the hamburger over 100 years ago. It’s rewarding to see our numbers climb, reinforcing our role in the enduring popularity of the hamburger.”
For the first time since 2019, the company will resume its long tradition of having employees from the home office work in White Castle restaurants and at the company’s food manufacturing plants. More than 250 team members are expected to spend a day in May either steam-grilling Sliders and greeting customers or helping out on the production lines to make and package the Sliders sold in retail outlets across the United States.
White Castle’s very own “National Slider Day” takes place on May 15, right in the middle of National Hamburger Month. On this day dedicated to the burger that launched America’s fast food industry, the chain will offer a free Cheese Slider to anyone with a digital coupon, which will be sent to e-mail subscribers and posted on White Castle’s social media channels.
White Castle launched its retail division in 1987, becoming the first fast food restaurant to offer its burgers in the frozen food aisles of grocery, club and convenience stores. Now celebrating its 35th birthday during National Hamburger Month, the retail side of the business has turned White Castle into a successful consumer packaged goods company as well as a fast food icon.
