Slider Fan Brings Love of White Castle to the Hudson Valley

Could a dedicated White Castle Fan from Orange County, New York finally convince the franchise to open up in the Hudson Valley?

Whenever we ask which fast food restaurant you'd like to see in the Hudson Valley, White Castle is always at the top of the list. As someone who grew up in Northern New Jersey, sliders were a way of life. There's something magical about those little burgers in a steamed bun that makes them so easy to eat by the dozen.

Hudson Valley Man Inducted Into White Castle Hall of Fame

Despite the closest White Castle being more than half an hour away, Michael Newman from Cornwall, New York, was just inducted into the fast food restaurant's prestigious Hall of Fame.

This week, White Castle announced the names of 11 dedicated slider fans from all over the country who have been permanently enshrined in the Craver's Hall of Fame. The honor has been given out annually since 2001 as a way to recognize its most passionate fans.

Michael Newman Inducted into Craver's Hall of Fame

White Castle says they chose Newman after he shared the story of his ingenious use of the restaurant's Crave Case over two decades ago. When the Cornwall, New York resident was a student at Rutgers University, there was a White Castle restaurant not too far away. But, because he was not allowed to have a car on campus, Newman and his friends would have to wait for his mother to visit and drive them to White Castle to load up on sliders.

Not wanting the White Castle experience to end when his mother left, Newman says he would carefully clean the Crave Case his burgers were packaged in and use it to carry his books back and forth across campus.

I didn’t buy a bookbag that year; I only turned to what others would consider White Castle refuse. It was the best backpack I’ve ever owned, and it drew the attention of the 35,000 other students completing their studies at the college.

For his ingenious use of the White Castle Crave Case, Newman joins 10 other slider fans as a 2024 inductee into the Craver's Hall of Fame.

Will White Castle Reconsider Coming to the Hudson Valley?

Now that a Hudson Valley resident has been chosen as a Hall of Fame, could the restaurant chain possibly change its mind about coming to the Hudson Valley? For decades, locals have begged White Castle to open up to no avail. There have been rumors about the restaurant moving into several Mid-Hudson locations, but those rumors all turned out to be nothing more than wishful thinking.

Perhaps Newman's influence as an honored member of the White Castle Craver's Hall of Fame will finally convince White Castle to open up in the area. Until then, we'll have to continue to pull a Harold and Kumar and make that long road trip to the nearest location in Nanuet.