Inside White Castle's ‘Castle of Tomorrow’
Jamie Richardson, vice president of marketing and public relations, presents the features of White Castle’s newest store prototype located outside downtown Columbus, Ohio. Known as the “Castle of Tomorrow,” this updated restaurant integrates modern design, enhanced hospitality, and advanced technology.
Design and Efficiency Improvements
Richardson emphasized that the prototype was created to boost both efficiency and effectiveness.
“Efficiency in the sense of [employees] being able to move more fluidly, certainly faster,” he said. “And then effectiveness, because at the end of the day, if we do it right, we should ... be able to control our cost a bit better. We should be able to do things that also deliver really great-tasting, hot-off-the-grill product. And that effectiveness part is where we believe repeat business comes from.”
Kitchen and Employee Enhancements
- More functional and streamlined kitchen layout
- Defined prep zones
- Improved employee break spaces
- Introduction of Flippy, a robotic fry station assistant
Innovative Drive-Thru Technology
The most notable feature is a double drive-thru equipped with an AI-powered ordering system. The system incorporates the voice of “Julia,” named after a legendary White Castle employee from the 1930s.
This combination of automation and thoughtful design aims to enhance service speed and product quality in the 104-year-old company’s newest store.
Summary: White Castle’s “Castle of Tomorrow” prototype modernizes restaurant operations with robotic assistance and AI-driven ordering, enhancing efficiency and customer experience.