The First Fast Food Chain To Sell A Billion Burgers Wasn't McDonald's Or Burger King

Do you know what's a big number? One million. Do you know what's an even bigger number? One billion. How much bigger? Consider the fact that a million seconds is about a week and a half, while a billion seconds is almost 32 years. Can you imagine how mind-boggling it must have been, then, to see the first fast food chain sell one billion hamburgers? It must have been like watching the rise of the Roman Empire. However, the first company to sell a billion burgers was not McDonald's, Burger King, or any of the modern titans of fast food, but White Castle.

It's only fair, seeing as it was the first major fast food franchise. Starting life in Wichita, Kansas, the chain was the brainchild of Walt Anderson and Billy Ingram, who initially came up against some major headwinds. Back in 1921, ground beef had a bad reputation; it was seen as cheap and disreputable, a status not helped by Upton Sinclair's "The Jungle," which exposed the filthy conditions in meatpacking plants 15 years prior. ("The Jungle" led to the creation of the FDA, helping stop those horrifying meatpacking plants.) Thanks to the canny efforts of Anderson and Ingram — which included making their buildings white to emphasize cleanliness and getting fresh meat delivered each day — White Castle gained a positive reputation, and became the first major fast food franchise.

White Castle isn't doing terribly for itself these days. It has 345 locations in the United States, which is pretty solid for a chain that doesn't franchise. But it is no longer seen as the world's preeminent fast food burger chain. In fact, it doesn't even crack the top 10: Aside from the triumvirate of McDonald's, Burger King, and Wendy's, newer and trendier chains like Five Guys and Shake Shack have since superseded it. Why is that the case?

Well, we mentioned that White Castle doesn't franchise, right? The franchise model, which lets business owners use the recipes and equipment of a parent company, allows for rapid growth, and is a big reason why McDonald's and other fast food chains have become so ubiquitous. White Castle, by contrast, steadfastly refuses to franchise its restaurants, allowing for more corporate control but limiting its growth. 

But hey, you know what other chain doesn't franchise? In-N-Out Burger. How come that chain still gets lines around the block whenever it opens a new location, while White Castle (with apologies to Harold and Kumar) is often seen as cheap munchies fuel? Well, there's been something of a foodie revolution in America, with quality ingredients and novel combinations being prioritized over mere convenience. White Castle has many virtues — it remains affordable, and those little sliders are a lot of fun — but Shake Shack it is not. Still, have you sold a billion burgers lately? That's what we thought.