White Castle to open its first West Valley hamburger restaurant

PHOENIX – Five years after White Castle entered the Arizona market, the beloved hamburger shop is planning to open its first West Valley location.

The “Home of the Original Slider” announced Wednesday that its third Arizona restaurant will be built this year on Bullard Avenue between Interstate 10 and McDowell Road in Goodyear.

The state’s first White Castle debuted near the Loop 101 Pima Freeway and Via de Ventura in Scottsdale in October 2019. A Tempe location followed in November 2023.

The opening date for the 3,220-square-foot Goodyear restaurant, which will create about 50 jobs, hasn’t been set. Construction is expected to start in the coming months.

What can White Castle fans expect at Goodyear restaurant?

The plans call for 52 dining room seats, a covered patio with 14 outdoor seats and a double drive-thru with an AI-assisted menu board. The AI technology is named “Julia” in honor of Julia Joyce, a beloved White Castle host in the 1930s.

“The response of Cravers everywhere in the Valley of the Sun has been amazing through our first two openings in Arizona,” Jamie Richardson, a company executive, said in a press release. “White Castle has always prioritized hot and tasty affordable food, and we can’t wait to create more memories with this Castle in Goodyear.”

How has White Castle grown over the years?

White Castle, which started in 1921, is recognized as the nation’s first fast-food hamburger chain. It has developed a cult-like following of fans known as Cravers, who can’t get enough of the restaurant’s small square hamburgers.

New openings are known to draw swarms of customers willing to wait in long lines for drive-thru or walk-up service.

The Ohio-based chain was mostly a Midwest and New York phenomena for years, but its reputation grew well beyond its footprint. The family-owned business now operates more than 350 locations. In addition, frozen versions of White Castle’s famous sliders are sold at grocery stores nationwide.

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