White Castle coming in June

By Crystal Garcia
The Tribune-Star

TERRE HAUTE February 27, 2008 11:22 pm

— Although White Castle isn’t “slyding” into Terre Haute as soon as expected, it’s still coming.
Sandy Miller, regional assistant director in Indianapolis, said the project is in the budget for groundbreaking to begin sometime in June.
Initial plans called for the project to begin toward the end of last year and the beginning of this year, but repairs to an existing restaurant in Indianapolis took priority, she said.
According to the state’s Web site, White Castle Indiana LLC filed for a building permit at 4340 S. U.S. 41. That location started as a Dog ’n’ Suds Drive-In, but in 2002 was converted to a Sonic Drive-In.
Sonic closed in December 2004.
Miller said if there are no complications or bad weather, the restaurant will be complete 90 days from the time construction begins.
Signs are expected to come as soon as construction begins, with billboards popping up within 30 to 40 days of opening day, she said.
Employee training will take place in Indianapolis during construction, Miller said. She said the company expects about 35 employees will be needed to operate the White Castle, which will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Dave Reeves, Vigo County building commissioner, had seen the blueprints for the restaurant, he said in October. It’s expected to be 2,584 square feet with a 94-person total occupancy.
Best known for its “Slyders,” the first White Castle opened in 1921 in Wichita, Kan. The chain now has more than 380 restaurants.
About 20 new restaurants are added to existing market areas each year. Including Indianapolis, White Castle has 12 market areas: Chicago, Cincinnati, Columbus, Detroit, Louisville, Minneapolis/St. Paul, New Jersey, Nashville, New York, northeast Ohio and St. Louis.
“We’re really looking forward to being there,” Miller said about the Terre Haute location, noting that it was a hard decision to push construction to June.
Crystal Garcia can be reached at (812) 231-4271 or crystal.garcia@tribstar.com.