White Castle and the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation partner with Oscar-winner Richard Dreyfuss for Christmas promotion to raise funds for restaurant workersWhite Castle and the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation partner with Oscar-winner Richard Dreyfuss for Christmas promotion to raise funds for restaurant workers

White Castle is getting into the holiday spirit with its latest Christmas marketing initiative: a retelling of ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas,’ with burgers, of course.

The brand recently partnered with the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation, or NRAEF, to give back to many of the frontline restaurant workers that have been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic with a new relief fund, “Change is on the Menu.”

Oscar-winner Richard Dreyfuss narrates “Twas the Night Before Cravemas.” There is no cost to view the video but White Castle has pledged to donate $1 per view up to $25,000, and there will be a donation link everywhere the video is available.

The story centers around a drive-thru window at an unattended White Castle, where one burger remains after the store has been closed for Christmas Eve.

“When out in the drive-thru there arose such a clatter,

T’wasn’t hooves on the roof nor the chimney, but rather

A drive-thru window left unattended, ajar,

Waiting for Saint Nick who had come from afar.”

“We’ve been fortunate at White Castle because we’ve been able to keep our drive-thru open throughout the pandemic, and our dedicated team members and craver fans have really been there for us,” said Jamie Richardson, a vice president at White Castle, in a statement.

“Despite ongoing challenges, business results have started to stabilize for us. We know other restaurants aren’t able to open and, consequently, thousands of restaurant employees have lost their jobs and suffered financially. We want to do what we can to help.”

The Change is on the Menu initiative by the NRAEF is aimed at providing restaurant workers with the training, support and education to get back on their feet after the pandemic devastated the industry.

“The challenges facing restaurant workers are unprecedented,” said Rob Gifford, president of the NRAEF.

The National Restaurant Association, of which the NRAEF is the educational arm, estimates that 17% or 110,000 restaurants have closed since March due to the coronavirus pandemic and another 10,000 are expected to close over the winter.
White Castle in May raised more than $10,000 for the NRAEF’s Restaurant Employees Relief Fund, or RERF.  Overall, RERF, in collaboration with Guy Fieri, raised more than $21.5 million in relief funding for restaurant workers, but is no longer giving out $500 grants.

Richardson of White Castle said the new goal to raise money for Change is on the Menu will help restaurant workers rebuild their lives.

“This is a time unlike any other, and we invite all of our competitors and colleagues who are able and willing to join us in supporting restaurant workers who are hurting,” Richardson said. 

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