Pack your Crave Case; White Castle's new headquarters is open for business

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WYSX/WTTE) — You probably watched it being built as you drove westbound on I-670.

The work is mostly done, and employees of Columbus-based White Castle have moved into its brand new headquarters, which is located right next door to the site of the company's previous location at 555 W. Goodale Ave.

The new building features fun and interesting elements including a test kitchen, a two-story spiral slide, a throne in the lobby, and historical milestones painted along the walls of the four-story staircase.

Kaitlin Kingrey, with M+A Architects, said her firm dived into the company's past in order to bring the new HQ into the future.

"There was a lot of wood paneling in the existing building so we wanted to give materials that were familiar to folks but still kind of creating a fresh and new modern take on those materials," said Kingrey. "The white brick is kind of paying homage to the original White Castles themselves."

There's a room dedicated to 1921, the year White Castle was founded.

Across from that room is a corner dedicated to the fast-food giant's founder.

"This is the founder's desk from our founder Billie Ingram," said Susan Converse, a White Castle spokeswoman.

"When he came to Columbus from Wichita in Columbus in 1934, this is the desk that he used in his office and it’s been in our office on Goodale ever since."

The $65 million development includes not just White Castle's new home, but also a park, a community center, apartment buildings and additional office space.