A century of sliders

 

White Castle hamburgers first began causing indigestion a hundred years ago. A century on folks like me keep coming back for more, tummy troubles be damned.

First sampled sliders 70 years ago when White Castle marked 30 years. That first slider hooked me and the last wolfed down was as good as Numero Uno.

It was the only fast food chain back then, tho only in a handful of Midwestern states. Even in year 100 there are just 377 little castles in 13 states. McDonalds has over 36,000 units in 117 countries. But bigger isn’t better, never will be with hamburgers.

Founded by cook Walt Anderson and real estate agent Billy Ingram, Sept. 13, 1921, on First & Main, Wichita, KS. Ingram bought out Anderson in ’33. 88 years on great granddaughter Lisa Ingram is still the Queen of the Castle. She owns all stores and pays cash for every one. A quarter of its 10,000 employees have a decade or more dedicated to sliding sliders down our gullets.

Time Mag named White Castle the most influential hamburger of all time. For good reason. Back in ’21 Americans were still skittish about downing burgers with thoughts of Sinclair Lewis’ yucky beef expose ‘The Jungle’ still dampening their burger appetite. Anderson and Ingram concocted splendid white enamel exteriors to complement spotless stainless steel interiors to entice folks to gobble up their 100% pure beef beauties.

And if you’re about to devour one, don’t forget to squish on White Castle’s wonderful Dusseldorf Mustard.

Just writing this is giving me ‘The Crave’.