Bill Ingram, longtime CEO at White Castle Systems Inc., is retiring after 35 years at the helm of the venerable quick-service chain, with his daughter Lisa Ingram scheduled to take over.
Bill Ingram will retire at the end of this year, and Lisa Ingram will become the fourth generation of her family to lead the 94-year-old company.
The Columbus Dispatch first reported the leadership change. A spokeswoman for White Castle confirmed the change to Nation’s Restaurant News, but neither Bill nor Lisa Ingram were immediately available for comment.
Bill Ingram’s grandfather, E.W. “Billy” Ingram, founded White Castle in 1921, making it the world’s first quick-service burger concept. The chain currently has just under 400 locations. White Castle is the 80th largest restaurant in the country, according to Nation’s Restaurant News Top 100 data, with $528.3 million in domestic system sales.
The 65-year-old Bill Ingram has been with his grandfather’s company for 43 years. Lisa Ingram will become White Castle’s first CEO who doesn’t share its founder’s name.
Under Bill Ingram, White Castle added 100 locations, and also started selling frozen versions of its popular Sliders at grocery stores, which represent 25 percent of company sales, according to the Dispatch.
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