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White Castle is raising its sign as it moves closer and closer to its scheduled spring 2021 opening in Orlando. This is the largest free-standing White Castle in the world and choosing the City Beautiful is an ambitious move. 120 pre-scheduled interviews are being held by the franchise.
The new location is planned in southwest Orlando at Unicorp’s $1 billion “The Village at O-Town West” mixed-use development.
“We’re trying to create a whole place. We’re trying to create a complete sense of place with dining, entertainment, shopping and living,” Unicorp President Chuck Whittall told the Orlando Sentinel when the project was launched.
To join the team and ensure a safe process for all, interested applicants must apply online at careers.whitecastle.com. Applicants can also text “ORLANDO” to 56379, and receive a link that will take them directly to the Orlando Castle’s hiring site for ease applying.
For applicants who advance in the hiring process, White Castle will schedule and conduct in-person interviews with all COVID-19 safety protocols in place.
White Castle is America’s first fast-food hamburger chain, founded in 1921 as a family-owned business satisfying cravings for 100 years. The Orlando Castle marks the beloved brand’s first return to Florida since operating a Castle in Miami in the 1960s. The 4,567-square-foot restaurant will sport the iconic tower in a sleek, modern industrial-style architectural design and include indoor and outdoor seating plus two drive-through lanes.
As part of the ceremonial sign raising, and a White Castle good luck tradition, the Latin phrase “Desideres Ego Ergo Sum” has been added to one of the hidden steel beams in the tower construction. The phrase, when translated means, “I Crave, Therefore I Am.”
The Original Slider, named in 2014 as Time Magazine’s most influential burger of all time, is served alongside a menu of creatively crafted sliders and other food options, including White Castle’s Impossible™ Slider, named by Thrillist in 2019 as the “Best Plant-Based Fast Food Burger. The Original Slider is made with 100% beef, steam grilled on a bed of onions, and served with a slice of pickle on our signature bun.
According to America Comes Alive, the “hamburger industry owes White Castle a “thanks” for creating National Hamburger Month in 1992. Every year when the month of May rolls around, places that sell hamburgers come up with new promotions to entice the public.” Hopefully we will be able to munch on burgers before that rolls around.
White Castle stepped up their protocols during COVID-19 around the country saying, “We have aggressively intensified our already rigorous cleaning procedures—including increasing the frequency of sanitizing and cleaning the food preparation areas, dining rooms and restrooms in all our restaurants. Additionally, we are providing single-use condiments, straws and napkins from our counters, upon request. In addition, we offer on-line ordering and delivery and we will continue to pursue new ways technology minimizes contact and improves our customer experience.”
According to Restaurant Business, “the company’s long-term family ownership and the family’s role can be seen throughout the restaurants—White Castle boasts some remarkable longevity among its corporate staff. The chain’s general managers have an average tenure of 21 years.” This long history in the restaurant business has allowed strategic rollouts and the opening of the ghost kitchen earlier this year could be a sign of things to come for the franchise.
White Castle owns and operates more than 360 restaurants dedicated to satisfying customers’ cravings morning, noon and night and sells its famous fare in retail stores nationwide. White Castle is known for its faithful fans, affectionately referred to as Cravers, many of whom compete each year for entry into the Cravers Hall of Fame.
Sources: America Comes Alive, Restaurant Business Online, Orlando Sentinel
Photo Credit: White Castle
Carlos Eats 