DDi - March 2011 - (Page 64)

64 | Blaze Deckers Laughing Noodle White Castle simultaneously tests a trio of new concepts bridging fast casual and QSR By Janet Groeber experiment common—think A&W with Long John Silvers, Dunkin Donuts with Baskin Robbins, or Yum! Brands’ long-ago match-ups of Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and KFC (pairings and variants made possible through acquisition)—White Castle started its new brands from scratch. “Creating three new concepts allowed our design team to create a range of customer experiences not typically found in the QSR format,” explains Diane Rambo, executive vice president of Big Red Rooster. “The growing demand that customers have for options—both in menu appeal and overall dining experience—led to the testing of digital menu boards, table delivery service, unique seating arrangements and various queuing aides as well as a great range of unique product offers.” The three stores were renovated inside and out to add the necessary identifying signage and kitchen equipment to reflect the new concepts, which feature mennes of sandwiches, barbeque and “Americanized” pastas. Simply stated, the restaurants share a counter and dining room, www.ddionline.com I n the American lexicon of fast food, there are hamburgers—and then there’s White Castle. Those square, steam-grilled mini burgers, lovingly dubbed “sliders,” have gained cultural icon status since the company’s founding 90 years ago in Wichita, Kan. Of course, sliders are all the rage these days, with more than a few upscale chains adopting and adapting their own varieties. In 2004, the brand connected on the big screen in “Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle,” a small-budget film depicting two stoners’ cravings for the pillow-soft beef patties. Founded by Billy Ingram and Walter Anderson, White Castle is generally credited with opening the second fast-food outlet and first hamburger chain, selling hamburgers for a nickel each. Today, a sack of 10 sliders costs a bit more than $6 and the family-run company (now based in Columbus, Ohio) is 421 owned-and-operated stores strong in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Tennessee and Wisconsin. In 2009, White Castle’s revenue was about $630 million, with most coming from its restaurants. Today, frozen “sliders” are sold at supermarkets across the country, along with ground coffee and other items available online from its House of Crave, contributing to the bottom line. In a move that spells novel product extension, White Castle now even offers a slider-scented candle. White Castle currently ranks 40th on QSR magazine’s Top 50, and although the company occupies the “value” end of the fast-food industry, it experienced a drop in store sales recently, given the simple fact that people are eating out less often. (Business First reported White Castle sales were down 4 percent from $567.9 million in 2008 as sales per restaurant fell to $1.3 million in 2009 from nearly $1.4 million the previous year.) After 18 months of research and planning, White Castle—with assistance from Columbusbased Big Red Rooster—simultaneously debuted three new “brand-in-brand” concepts at three existing units. While co-locating concepts is | March 2011 http://www.ddionline.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of DDi - March 2011

DDi - March 2011
Contents
From the Editor
Newsworthy
Shopper Insights
Greentailing
Editor's Choice
Design Snapshot: Kusmi
Design Snapshot: Avril
Channel Focus: Toy Store
Longo’s
Brown Thomas
11 Retail Trends for 2011
Bloomingdale’s
The Exchange
Lola
White Castle
Design Leaders 2011
GlobalShop
Show Coverage
Right Light
In-Store Technology
Product Spotlight
Classifieds
Calendar
Advertisers
Shopping With Paco

DDi - March 2011