Orlando White Castle may open late next year
White Castle’s first restaurant in Florida since the 1960s is expected to be finished near Disney World by late next year or early 2021.
“This is going to be the world’s largest White Castle,” said Jamie Richardson, the chain’s vice president for government and shareholder relations.
The 4,500-square-foot restaurant was announced at an event at its future site at The Village at O-Town West, on Daryl Carter Parkway. It is expected to employ about 145 people.
O-Town West developer Chuck Whittall said he planned for ground to break on the project in about two months.
“We have a lot of cool other things that we’re about to bring soon that people don’t know,” he said. “I can’t announce them yet, but we’ve got some really big announcements that are coming.”
While restaurant the is a
Orlando return to
Florida, company officials did not announce any other possible locations in the state at Monday’s event.
“We’ll wait and see,” Richardson said. “This is definitely a big investment and move for us. … Our thought is let’s get this one established and see what happens.”
Whittall added he would pitch his other developments to White Castle.
“We certainly think we have suitable developments for them,” he said.
The Columbus-based company has been in business for more than 98 years and has more than 375 restaurants, mostly in the Midwest and the New York metropolitan area. Its famous hamburger sliders were served in Miami in the 1960s, but the Naples Daily News reported in 2015 the company left Florida because of the distance from its support facilities.
Popular Chicago restaurant Portillo’s is also planned for O-Town West.