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CHAIN -- Krystal “Can I help you sir?” “No.” Now, I didn’t say no…The girl behind the girl at the counter who
asked if she could help me said it.
But apparently she was talking about something else.
I found it rather funny, but they didn’t.
They just stared at me like they wished I’d go away. So
I ordered. “Is
that to stay?”
“Yes”.
So should I take it as a hint they packed up my order in a to-go bag
anyway? Probably.
I stay anyway. The
bag is clear so you can see everything inside.
Krystal notes on the bag that this new and improved design helps the
customer easily verify the order is correct.
But if I didn’t order it to go, I guess it’s a moot point anyway. Krystal is the longest lasting White Castle clone around. That makes them one of the oldest fast food burger chains in the country. They have taken to referring to themselves as "oldest quick service restaurant chain in the South and the second oldest in the United States", but Maid Rite and A&W have been around longer. You could also make an argument for Nathan's Famous, but that was a one-stand show until 1959. The company started in 1932
doing pretty much everything that White Castle did, right down to using a name
that signified clean and pure. Their smartest move was to niche out a
market away from any White Castle territories. It was the clones who broke
that rule who White Castle sued. White Castle basically left the others
alone. Today, Krystal is a staple of the South trying to expand outward,
but store numbers have been in decline in recent years. The
inevitable overlap of a Krystal and White Castle market has happened. But
both company's menus have grown in different directions, and aside from offering
little square sandwiches, each company stands out as a unique identity. The
modern Krystal burger is a White Castle without the five holes and with mustard.
So you’d think they wouldn’t taste that much different.
You’d be wrong.
The Krystal tastes less beefy than White Castle.
The mustard provides a significant amount of the flavor. I guess it paid for White Castle to patent that five-hole one-sided
steam cooking idea. (Krystal also steams, but I'm not sure if they have to
flip.) I eat Krystals the same way I eat White Castles...take two, discard
the top buns, and fold them together. The rest of the menu compliments the Krystals as a one-stop gut bomb snack center. Krystal has chili dogs called “pups”. They’re called “pups” because they’re small…Cincinnati chili joint sized. The first time I had one, it sucked. Really really bad. But the second time I had one at another location, it was really good. The chili and cheese mix there came off tasting like Taco Bell's old chili-cheese burrito. Plus, this location put mustard on the bun, which seemed to go far in improving the taste. Krystal is trying out an expanded menu with bigger drink/dessert offerings as well as some sandwiches on toast. Think Sonic here. Krystal's "Chik" chicken sandwiches are outstanding when the chicken is hot, fresh, and not overcooked. I must emphasize the "hot, fresh, and not overcooked" part because I've gotten them lukewarm, stiff, and stale before. Krystal's
growth has been increased over the past decade thanks to franchising, which was
first offered in 1990. Krystal's hopped on several bandwagons over the
years including the double-drive-thru concept ("Krystal Kwiks", the
first franchised outlets). Krystal is toying around with free Wi-Fi access
at some stores. Krystals are available in grocery stores around
the South, just like White Castles. And the chain wants to grow.
Expansion will go as far as franchisees will take it. Click here to return to tesg's guide to big chain road food consumption |
