TV Restaurants

What Happened to White Castle After Food Paradise? (Wichita, KS)

Closed verified

As of September 2026, White Castle has closed — confirmed via kcur.org, March 22, 2023.

Primary source
kcur.org ·
Secondary source
kansascitymag.com

Last verified

What the source shows: KCUR reported that White Castle's first restaurant opened in Wichita in 1921 but the original building is no longer standing and no White Castle currently operates in Kansas.

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What happened after Food Paradise?

"Hamburger Paradise" featured White Castle, the hamburger chain that, according to Wikipedia, was founded in Wichita, Kansas in 1921 and is widely credited as the first fast-food hamburger chain in the United States. According to Wikipedia, the company built its identity on small, square hamburgers sold cheaply, later nicknamed "sliders," and grew into a regional chain with roughly 345 locations concentrated in the Midwest and the New York metropolitan area. KCUR reported on 2023-03-22 that the original five-stool White Castle building, opened at 110 West First Street in Wichita, no longer stands, and that White Castle no longer operates any restaurant in Kansas. Kansas City Magazine similarly reported that the chain's birthplace disappeared from the state. According to the Historical Marker Database, a marker near First Presbyterian Church in Wichita now commemorates the site.

Featured on Food Paradise

Season / episode
Season 1, Episode 1
Original air date
Not confirmed
Episode title
Hamburger Paradise
What was featured
White Castle's 1921 founding as the first fast-food hamburger chain
Role
Featured restaurant
Name on the broadcast
White Castle

Frequently asked questions

Is White Castle still open in 2026?

As of September 2026, White Castle has closed — confirmed via kcur.org, March 22, 2023.

What happened to White Castle after Food Paradise?

"Hamburger Paradise" featured White Castle, the hamburger chain that, according to Wikipedia, was founded in Wichita, Kansas in 1921 and is widely credited as the first fast-food hamburger chain in the United States. As of September 2026, White Castle has closed — confirmed via kcur.org, March 22, 2023.

Is White Castle permanently closed?

As of September 2026, White Castle has closed — confirmed via kcur.org, March 22, 2023. We publish a closure only with a dated source behind it, and we say plainly when it has not been independently confirmed.

Where is White Castle located?

110 W 1st St, Wichita, KS 67202. That is the address on the record as of September 7, 2026.

What season and episode of Food Paradise featured White Castle?

Season 1, Episode 1 of Food Paradise. The episode is titled “Hamburger Paradise”.

Every status on this site carries a confidence label and a date, and names the source it rests on. Read the Editorial & Corrections Policy for what each label means and how quickly we act on corrections. The questions above are generated from this record's own published fields — we never publish a question we cannot answer from the data.

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All Kansas locations

Nearest tracked restaurants

Visit info

Address
110 W 1st St, Wichita, KS 67202
Venue type
restaurant
Official website
nuwayburgers.com

Businesses change fast. Always confirm directly with the restaurant — call ahead, or check its own current website or social media — before making plans around anything on this page.

Sources

  • kcur.org — https://www.kcur.org/arts-life/2023-03-22/white-castle-hamburger-wichita-kansas-sliders-fast-food-history-mcdonalds
  • kansascitymag.com — https://kansascitymag.com/kansas-was-the-birthplace-of-white-castle-heres-the-secret-reason-why-it-disappeared-1/
  • hmdb.org — https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=56391

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