“At White Castle, we strive to feed the souls of Craver generations everywhere while feeding hunger, hope and dreams”.
“At White Castle, we strive to feed the souls of Craver generations everywhere while feeding hunger, hope and dreams”.
Despite having more than 420 locations and grossing more than $600m/year in revenue, White Castle are keen to share that they are not in the burger business, evident from their purpose, quoted above. They are in the business of nourishing souls. They do this by building community, maintaining quality and giving back to their communities. Serving burgers happens to be one way they nourish their customer’s needs, but it’s not the only way.
White Castle was founded in Wichita, Kansas in 1921 and is credited with inventing the use of the burger bun, the kitchen as an assembly line as well as the line cook as a technician. In their more than 90 year history, they have remained family owned with every location owned by the company.
While other fast food chains have come and gone over the years, White Castle has managed to maintain a cult-like status among it’s customers, referred to as “Cravers”. Craver Nation is a community of 1000s of devoted customers who participate in organized activities, share their favorite White Castle stories and have a chance to be inducted into the annual Hall of Fame. This community involvement and recognition from the company they revere builds an even deeper relationship and love. Whether it’s a Valentines Day dinner event or selling slider-fragranced candles for charity, White Castle knows how to nourish the needs of it’s community.
Fans of White Castle will be familiar with the distinctive sliders with the thin beef patties and onions sandwiched in a buttery bun. It’s a quality recipe that has been virtually unchanged for the best part of 50 years. It’s no surprise that the Harold & Kumar comedy film franchise kicked off with the duo visiting White Castle, and not a competitor: No other patty elicits the same emotional and visceral response among burger fans. Such is the popularity of the patty that you can now find cases of sliders in the freezer aisle of your nearest supermarket.
To truly nourish the souls, White Castle knows it must feed more than stomachs, and it lives up to it’s purpose of feeding the souls of it’s cravers everywhere. Recently awarded “Benefactor of the Year” award from Columbus Business First,
“White Castle is simply one of the most generous and engaged organizations in Central Ohio,”said Kermit Whitfield, who serves as a judge for Columbus Business First’s Corporate Caring awards program. “The company supports a wide array of local nonprofits through grants, in-kind gifts and volunteer board service. Our community is stronger because of the dedication that White Castle leaders and staff have to paying forward and giving back.”
A quick Google search for the phrase “White Castle Charity” shows the lengths the family owned business will go to live up to their purpose. The communities around White Castle restaurants are better off because of their dedication to their purpose. Business success did not prompt this focus on community, quality and giving back, but rather it is these three initiatives that have ensured the continuing growth and success of this much-loved chain.
Crave on.
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Barry Chandler is the co-founder of Storyforge, a brand strategy company focused on helping companies discover their purpose to allow them achieve their vision, build preference and drive margin. Barry has been building award winning businesses since launching his first company in Ireland in 2003. His last company, a digital marketing agency, was acquired in 2012 by a California based publicly traded entertainment company which then hired him as Chief Marketing Officer. It is his belief that the greatest brands seek to change the world, improving the lives of their associates, partners and customers.