White Castle Marks 35 Years of Sub-Par Frozen Retail Sliders

White Castle is celebrating 35 years of these. Courtesy of White Castle

In 1987, White Castle launched its retail division, becoming the first fast-food restaurant to offer its food in grocery stores to enjoy at home. Thirty-five years later, sales are at an all-time high.

But, sales or not, making them at home, especially if doing so in your microwave, is just not the same as visiting a restaurant and getting them fresh.

At the time retail Sliders first became a thing, industry experts scoffed, saying a fast-food restaurant couldn't succeed as a consumer packaged-goods company. But White Castle did it anyway. And somehow, it worked.

"When my dad, Bill Ingram, was president and CEO, he wanted to make sure everyone had access to White Castle Sliders, including people who didn't live in a White Castle market," Lisa Ingram, White Castle's current president and CEO, said in a news release about the 35th anniversary of White Castle’s retail division. "That's how he came up with the idea of selling our Sliders in grocery and convenience stores. It was a strategic decision that has made a significant difference for White Castle."

Get this: The division sold its 6 billionth retail Slider at the end of 2021 and achieved record sales last year. In fact, 20% of its total sales since 1987 have come in the past three years alone. Pretty wild, eh?

To keep up with the increasing demand for its frozen Sliders, White Castle is expanding the manufacturing capacity at its plant in Vandalia, Ohio, near Dayton. The company has invested $27 million in the project, which will be finished this summer. The expansion doubles the size of the plant from approximately 75,000 square feet to 150,000 square feet.

There are also other dedicated manufacturing facilities in Covington and Louisville that supply packaged Sliders to retailers, large and small, in all 50 states.

I do get that people who don’t live in a market where White Castle restaurants exist can at least have some semblance of a Slider, thanks to the boxed retail versions of the little square burgers. But having had these a number of times, the drawbacks are plentiful. For one, the flavor burst isn’t the same, and the steaminess of a fresh Slider doesn’t come through in the home version. I’m a fan of the edge of the bun dripping with onion and meat juice, and you just don’t get that in the frozen version, even if you have a steamer.

Also, you have to supply your own pickle, meaning you’ll have to buy a jar of the cheapest, crappiest pickles on the shelves to match what you’re getting from the restaurant. (Not being critical, just being honest.) Finally, all I’ve ever seen at the grocery store are the original Sliders and Cheese Sliders – my go-to favorite is the Jalapeno Cheese Slider. They are sold at retail, but where?

According to the news release the chain sent out, a new partnership with Bellisio Foods, one of the nation's largest frozen-food companies, will soon bring White Castle's Chicken Rings to retail outlets across the U.S. Will they be any better than the sliders? Maybe if cooked in an air fryer?

Look for another product announcement at the end of July, the news release teased. Frozen Impossible Sliders, perhaps?

"Our retail division continues to perform well and exceed our sales goals," said Tiffany Carreker, general manager and vice president of sales for White Castle's retail division. "These new products are going to enhance our existing line-up and make our retail offerings even more attractive to customers. It's a perfect way to celebrate our 35 years as a CPG business."

And later this year, White Castle says it will release a documentary-style video series on social media. Called "The Crave Chronicles," these 30- to 45-second vignettes will go behind the scenes to show how Sliders are made. Now, THAT I’d like to see.

Learn more about White Castle at WhiteCastle.com.