Whiting inducted into White Castle hall of fame
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The northwest Indiana city of Whiting is being inducted into White Castle’s Cravers Hall of Fame, marking the first time an entire city has received the honor.
The fast food chain established the hall of fame in 2001 to “recognize its most zealous fans,” which this year also includes an 85-year-old man from Columbus.
The induction comes about six months after the city of Whiting opened a modernized White Castle restaurant on the site of a previous White Castle that had stood for 88 years before being demolished last March.
The new location at 1879 Indianapolis Blvd. pays homage to the old building with a local artist Adan Ramirez’s mural in the dining room and a plaque outside in an outdoor park and seating area.
“We were so touched and overwhelmed by the outpouring of goodwill in Whiting as we turned the page from old to new,” Vice President Jamie Richardson said in a news release. “We realized the only fitting way to express our gratitude to the people of Whiting was to induct the whole city into the Cravers Hall of Fame.”
White Castle also induced 10 individual honorees, including Stuart Cundiff of Columbus. Cundiff celebrated his 85th birthday on Christmas Eve with friends and neighbors at White Castle.
The celebration was part of a longstanding tradition of eating White Castle on his birthday that started 80 years ago with his father, who would take him to White Castle before going to see a movie.
“On the way home, they’d always stop at White Castle again to pick up a dozen more sliders: six for his mom and sister and six for his grandparents who lived across the street,” the company said. “He would take the sliders to his grandparents, then he’d come back home to find presents under the tree that Santa had left while he was gone.”
You can view the full list of Cravers Hall of Fame inductees by clicking here.