A POPULAR burger joint and McDonald’s rival is set to open three locations in the same state.
White Castle will soon establish new restaurants in Florida, adding to its lineup of hundreds of stores.
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Founded in 1921, White Castle is a family-owned fast food chain and America’s first fast food hamburger chain.
Fans frequently pit the chain against fast food giant McDonald’s.
“Literally every fast food chain has better fries than McDonalds, including places like Rasing Canes and White Castle,” wrote one X user.
“McDonald’s [has] the best fries and the best Hi-C in the world but everything else sucks. White Castle [is] better than that cartoon food Mr Mac Donald servin,” said another.
The popular joint, known for its sliders, is planning to open three new locations in the Orlando area, per a local outlet.
“We will be opening a new location in Clermont, Florida, as well as developing a site in Kissimmee – Old Town,” Jamie Richardson, vice president at White Castle, told the outlet.
Jamison Commercial filed development plans and building permits for a 3,200-square-foot restaurant with a double drive-thru next to Old Town at the corner of West Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway and Holiday Trail.
White Castle did not share any information about a potential location for the future Clermont restaurant.
However, Richardson did share that the company was also “enthusiastic about the possibility of a new location near Universal,” but could not confirm it.
Plans submitted to Orange County propose a 5,000-square-foot location near the upcoming theme park Epic Universe.
It would be on a 2.6-acre lot at the northeastern corner of Universal Boulevard and McKenna Drive, located right next to the planned Marriott-branded W Hotel.
RECORD-BREAKING RESTAURANT
The decision comes less than four years after White Castle opened its first Florida store in the O-Town West shopping center in southwest Orlando in 2021.
Located at 11595 Daryl Carter Parkway, the restaurant saw record sales that forced the chain to open a second, take-out only outlet nearby.
It is the only standard, existing White Castle in Florida, and the largest White Castle store in the US.
It measures 4,567 square feet, making it smaller than the proposed location near Epic Universe.
Although White Castle operates over 350 restaurants, the location at O-Town West stands out.
States with White Castle Locations
The following states have White Castle restaurants:
- Florida
- Tennessee
- Illinois
- Ohio
- Indiana
- Missouri
- Michigan
- New York
- Kentucky
- New Jersey
- Minnesota
- Nevada
- Wisconsin
- Pennsylvania
- Arizona
It became the chain’s top-performing restaurant in 2022, selling around 5 million sliders in its first year.
The Orlando location also used a record-setting 40,000 eggs in one year for its breakfast sliders.
The restaurant also set a single-day sales record during its opening day in May 2021.
Its high sales pushed White Castle to open a pickup and delivery only location called White Castle Crave & Go next door.
“The love that Central Florida has shown for White Castle since we opened our Castle doors in 2021 has been profound. We’re very excited for the future cravings we’ll be able to satisfy,” said Richardson.
Other restaurants and retailers have shared their plans for new locations.
A beloved fast food chain that’s “better than Popeyes” is set to open 600 more locations this year.
Plus, the Sheetz CEO revealed “big plans” as the chain confirmed it will add up to 60 locations.
