Famous 'Slider' Source Closing Five NE Ohio Burger Outlets

The White Castle is crumbing in the Cleveland area, as evidenced by a report Thursday by the Northeast Ohio Media Group that the chain is closing its five Northeast Ohio area restaurants as of Christmas Eve.

The chain is especially popular among late-night partiers looking for after-hours munchies, foremost the famous “slider,” a bite-sized onion-laced hamburger.

White Castle, founded in 1921 and headquartered in Columbus, opened its first Cleveland area outlet at Pearl and Brookpark roads in 1996. According to the NEOMG, “The grand opening attracted fans from all over, causing traffic jams and long lines as people bought the little steamed burgers by the sack.”

White Castle Vice President Jamie Richardson confirmed the closings in the following statement:

“As a family owned business, one of the most difficult decisions we make is closing restaurants. We’ve made a business decision to no longer operate restaurants in Northeast Ohio and will be concentrating resources in other geographic areas. We are incredibly grateful for the friendship and support of our loyal fans in the Cleveland area.”

White Castle Management, Inc. operates more than 400 White Castle restaurants in a dozen states. In Northeast Ohio, it operates four outlets in the Cleveland area and one in Akron. All are closing.