Author Archive

DLZ celebrates National Hamburger Month with White Castle

White Castle, the first fast-food hamburger chain in the U.S., helped make the hamburger an American classic when it created The Original Slider in 1921. The popular restaurant is paying tribute to its iconic slider throughout the month of May for National Hamburger Month. The White Castle Restaurant Division invited Home Office employees and their design consultants to brush up on their griddle skills and to give those employees that didn’t start in a Castle the opportunity to see day to day activity.

This year, DLZ employees shared in the celebration of National Hamburger Month! They joined in to work a shift at the White Castle Restaurant in Hilliard, OH. Todd Harkins, Karen Juricic, and Andy Huber worked the lunch shift with the restaurant staff and corporate employees on May 17th. It was an experience I don’t think they will forget. “I have worked with White Castle for many years. So, it was great to finally work a shift at one of the Castle restaurants” said Todd Harkins.

Left to right – Andy Huber, Karen Juricic, and Todd Harkins from DLZ and Travis Evans from White Castle Management Co.

Introducing Flippy and Julia

They also had the chance to work with their two new employees: “Flippy,” the robot who handles the frying process from start to finish, meticulously dropping items into the fryer, removing them at the optimal moment, giving them a gentle shake, and placing them in the packaging area for the team members. Additionally, they welcomed “Julia,” their AI robot, which served as an interactive voice assistant at the drive-thru, adeptly navigating menus and facilitating payments through personal devices. This innovative addition minimized interactions, resulting in a seamless and self-guided experience, encompassing everything from discovery to fulfillment.

“It was a fantastic learning experience,” exclaimed Andy Huber, reflecting on his time. “As an architect, getting the opportunity to witness both the functionality of a kitchen and the inner workings of the equipment was invaluable. It truly aids in designing a kitchen after witnessing everything in action. Moreover, it was an enjoyable and exciting experience to cook food and serve customers for a few hours. However, the ultimate highlight was when we walked into the office with a case of 30 sliders. That got everyone on the team really excited!”

In 2023, DLZ will continue working with White Castle Inc. in their restaurant improvements to the site and buildings.