White Castle staff evaluate applications for the Crapers Hall of Fame based on loyalty to the brand, creative storytelling, uniqueness of content, and author's crave. Inductees are celebrated at White Castle headquarters in Columbus, Ohio, known for its Willy Wonka-esque features. The emotional connection to fans helps maintain loyalty and differentiate White Castle from competitors, keeping customers coming back for more.
White Castle has its own take on fast food hamburgers. For starters, the patties are square, with five holes in each patty. And they’re small, too –- two-and-a-half inch sliders. Just big enough to fit into the palm of your hand. And since they’re steamed on a bed of onions, everything is infused with this very specific onion-esque flavor.
Today, White Castles can be hard to find, depending on where you live. But KCUR's Mackenzie Martin, a producer at A People's History of Kansas City, says that it’s time to stop thinking of White Castle as a semi-obscure cultural punchline, because over a century ago, White Castle invented something that became so important and all-encompassing that, today, it touches pretty much every person in America. Sometimes several times a day. Something that, in other countries, has almost come to define American culture: it has a strong claim to being the first fast-food restaurant.
The White Castle System of Eating Houses