White Castle Sliders

Where fast food burgers began

White Castle is generally credited as the world's first fast food hamburger chain. It was founded in 1921 in Wichita, Kansas, by Walter Anderson, a cook who had been running food stands in the city, and Billy Ingram, an insurance and real estate man. They started with just $700.

In the 1920s many Americans did not trust ground beef, after books had exposed dirty conditions in meatpacking. White Castle answered with spotless white buildings, steel interiors and staff in clean uniforms, all designed to say this food is safe.

The slider

The chain's small square burgers became known as sliders. They sold for five cents at first, and in the 1940s coupons offered five burgers for ten cents. The burgers are steamed on a bed of onions, which gives them their soft texture and strong onion flavour.

In 2014, Time magazine named the White Castle slider the most influential burger of all time, because so many later chains followed its model.

Eating sliders today

Because sliders are small, people usually order several. That makes it easy to lose track of portions: a few sliders together can add up to as many calories as one large burger.

White Castle remains a regional chain, with about 345 restaurants across 13 states, mostly in the Midwest and the New York area. It also sells frozen sliders in supermarkets.

A building that sells food

The restaurants were designed to look like small castles, with towers and battlements, so customers could spot them from far away. The castle look became part of the brand, and later chains copied the idea of a building that advertises itself.

Its model of a simple menu, low prices and fast, standard cooking set the pattern for the whole fast food industry.

Slider culture

The word slider spread far beyond White Castle. Today restaurants everywhere serve mini burgers called sliders, from simple beef versions to gourmet ones with fancy cheeses and sauces.

Part of the appeal is variety. A plate of sliders lets friends share several flavours in one meal. The original White Castle style, small, square and steamed with onions, is still the version many fans of classic American food seek out first.

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