In New York and a few other highly populated towns, you may meet in a Starbucks () and look out the window and see another. It's a strange sight, but it makes sense in a region where the occupants of a single office building might keep a cafe busy throughout the day.
Starbucks, which is more than any other chain, has adopted the idea that one of the solutions to busy stores is to simply open additional stores. In large cities, the coffee company has expanded into mobile-order stores along with its traditional cafes.
Starbucks enthuses the notion that people will wait only so long, and sometimes the goal to be a success is to have more establishments.
Chipotle () - has changed its mind about the same issue in a different way. It has added a so-called make line in all its stores to handle digital orders. That doubles the capacity in its restaurants and increases the experience for in-person customers.
White Castle, a fast-food company, has a problem with one of its restaurants being too busy, and is borrowing the Starbucks solution.
White Castle falls.
White Castle, which is famous for its sliders and small burgers, which people buy by the bag, has opened its largest store in Orlando in 2021.
That restaurant has quickly surpassed its success and will sell more than five million hamburgers in its first year. At the same time, the price of the property has grown tremendous, with it starting from 7 a.m. until 4 a.m. and intending to go 24-hours this summer.
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"We had so many loyal supporters in Central Florida who were eagerly anticipating White Castle's arrival, but this response this year has far exceeded our expectations," said Jamie Richardson, White Castle's vice president.
White Castle has a solution to the problem, because it is already pushing its Orlando kitchen to the brink. It intends to open a takeout-only location next to its existing Orlando castle.
"The addition of this new space allows us to offer a delivery and pickup option for those who are on the go, according to White Castle Vice President Jamie Richardson.
It's a simple solution, but it's a bold bet because it's operating from the assumption that demand for White Castle in Orlando isn't driven by novelty. This is the chain betting that having a location in a city that's a major draw for tourists will continue to pay off.
White Castle Returns to Its First Grade
White Castle has leaned into nostalgia at a time when burgers have risen more frequent at five-star chains. The original Sliders from the chain are a throwback to simpler times when fast food was about being fast and delicious (and nothing else).
It also offers a fish slider, a chicken and waffles slider, and a plant-based Impossible slider.
According to the company, the Columbus, Ohio, chain operates more than 375 restaurants in 14 states. It "sells its famous fare in retail stores across the country, in a growing number of international locations, and at military exchanges around the world."
