White Castle

White Castle was founded in 1921 in Wichita, Kansas. Cook Walter A. Anderson partnered with insurance man Edgar Waldo "Billy" Ingram to turn it into a chain of restaurants. At the time, Americans were hesitant to eat ground beef after Upton Sinclair's 1906 novel The Jungle publicized poor sanitation practices in the meat packing industry. The founders worked to change public perceptions of cleanliness by using small restaurant buildings with white porcelain enamel on steel exteriors, stainless steel interiors, and employees in spotless uniforms. White Castle introduced several firsts in the restaurant business, including promoting take out, inventing the hamburger bun, and using an assembly line for food production. White Castle started the fast food industry in Wichita.

Wichita, Kansas · United States