The Retro Way White Castle Is Keeping Their Valentine's Day Tradition Alive During COVID
White Castle wants to be your Valentine's Day destination. For 30 years, the popular fast-food chain has turned itself into a swanky, upscale establishment on Feb. 14, where customers can make reservations for a romantic dinner, complete with hostess seating, table service, and festive decorations. "It started as a little bit of a joke" in their St. Louis and Minneapolis locations, White Castle vice president Jamie Richardson told Restaurant Business, but it was such a hit that it spread across the county and is still going strong three decades later.
However, with social-distancing regulations limiting indoor dining across the country, a romantic sit-down meal is pretty much out of the question right now. But never fear — the burger joint is keeping things romantic and COVID-safe with their new carhop service. According to Fox News, for one night only, White Castle will be turning their restaurants into a traditional drive-in, featuring a carhop service that will deliver the food straight to your vehicle.
White Castle will become Love Castle on Feb. 14
While White Castle's tradition may look a little different in 2021, it sounds like they're trying their best to still make things romantic. "COVID forced us to re-imagine our annual Valentine's Day event. This creative and safe solution allows us to celebrate a tradition our customers love. We're happy to share that once again this Valentine's Day, White Castle will become Love Castle," White Castle vice president Jamie Richardson said (via AP News).
They've even made it easy to amp up the romance in your car by creating the "Slider Lover's Luv Channel" on Spotify. Customers who tune into the channel will get to hear a playlist of love stories and romantic messages submitted by other customers. People are invited to add their own stories and shout-outs to their lovers through White Castle's social media prior to Valentine's Day.
Of course, White Castle will still be taking reservations for the special day. They recommend claiming your spot in Slider Lover's Point — a.k.a. the parking lot — via their website or the OpenTable app as soon as possible, because they are only accepting a limited number of reservations.