White Castle broke ground on the expansion of its retail food manufacturing plant in Vandalia, Ohio. The plant, now named “The House That Bill Built” in honor of former president and CEO Bill Ingram, supplies packaged Sliders to retailers, large and small, in all 50 states.
White Castle is investing USD27m in the expansion project, which should be complete by June 2022. The expansion will double the size of the plant from approximately 75,000 square feet to 150,000 square feet. It also will result in the addition of 75 jobs to the current workforce of 160 once the new production lines are fully operational, according to a press release.
During the early years of his tenure as president and CEO, Bill Ingram noticed how more and more customers were taking Sliders home from White Castle restaurants and freezing them for future meals. In response, he suggested White Castle sell its famous Sliders as a frozen food in grocery stores across the country. White Castle introduced its retail division in 1987, becoming the first fast-food restaurant to offer its menu items for purchase at grocery stores for preparation at home.