15 Things You Should Know Before Biting Into Another White Castle Slider

Though there are a lot of conflicting theories about the invention of the hamburger itself (though legend has it the flat patties were designed by Walter A. Anderson smashing a meatball on his griddle one day), Anderson is widely accepted as the man who brought buns into the equation.

Now used in pretty much every fast food establishment, Anderson's original White Castle was the first to break down the components into smaller roles. This also helped with replacing those employees who left given, the industry's high turnover rate.

The popularity of Upton Sinclair's The Jungle gave ground beef a bad reputation by exposing the low sanitation quality in meatpacking plants. To change diners' minds, the establishment was purposely made of spotless porcelain enamel, with employees also dressed in stark white uniforms.

As one of the earliest fast food chains, along with A&W, there were no supply companies on hand to keep their inventory in stock, so they established their own bakeries, meat supply plants, and warehouses.

Billy Ingram offered their employees around $18-$30 a week, which was definitely a lot of pocket change back in 1921.

The staff was required to undergo a two-week unpaid training seminar before stepping into the restaurant, as well as remain meticulously groomed and courteous to the customers.

At least, not anymore. In 1951, the restaurant began using meat with five holes punched into the middle, which allows steam to rise and thoroughly cook the patty atop a pile of sliced onions.

Though you will find the iconic restaurants sprinkled throughout the United States, White Castle has always remained a private company that owns all of their own stores.

Following their initial success, several other castle-shaped establishments began popping up, with variations on the original name such as "Blue Castle" and "White Cabin." However, nothing could beat the real deal.

CEO Ingram funded multiple tests to squash claims that their food was unhealthy, including one where a University of Minnesota medical student ate nothing but the sliders for 13 weeks straight without any adverse health effects.

But only for Valentine's Day, where you can put your name down weeks in advance and look forward to romantic table service with your love.

Notorious "cravers" have been sending in their best slider stories to the company since 2001. People can vie for a spot in the Hall of Fame alongside their fellow fanatics, like rock-and-roller Alice Cooper, who was inducted in 2014.

Joey Chestnut currently holds the record for eating 103 mini-patties in just eight minutes.

Time magazine named their patties the most influential burgers of all time.

The company debuted their meat-free veggie sliders in December of 2014 for a limited time run, winning over vegans a year later with dairy-free buns and sauce in October of 2015.

Did we miss your favorite thing about the classic burger joint? Let us know in the comments and be sure to SHARE with your friends!