White Castle announced Tuesday morning that it will raise its hourly wage to $15 in 21 Columbus-area locations to attract more workers.
The Columbus-based fast food chain said they are raising the wage and looking to hire 100 more people. Their previous wage was $11.50 an hour, with some locations offering $13 an hour.
White Castle vice president Jamie Richardson said the chain has had trouble staying open for 24 hours, seven days a week like they did pre-COVID-19. However, many employees found themselves needing to reduce their hours due to the pandemic, which meant the chain sometimes reduced theirs as well.
"By inviting more people to join our White Castle team, we're hopeful that we'll be there for all of our fellow citizens — morning, noon and night — throughout the summer months and beyond," Richardson said.
He added that there are many different reasons for people to be looking for work at this time. And while the chain has always looked to keep their wages competitive, what matters to him is that they provide a good experience as they look to hire more workers.
"We want to make sure when you come and work at the Castle, you get to work among the very best," he said.
That's what the raised wages will do, according to Theresa Kaszubski, regional director of restaurant operations, in a statement.
"We're committed to making White Castle one of the very best places to work, and that starts by offering significant hourly pay," Kaszubski stated.
In May, White Castle also raised the wages to $15 an hour in the Detroit area. The company said applications there tripled during that time.
