White Castle to Shutter Plants in Kentucky and Indiana

White Castle is planning to lay off nearly 100 workers after closing a Kentucky food distribution plant and an Indiana meat processing plant.

READ MORE: Sales Dip Forces Big Lots to Close Five Stores in Indiana

It’s been a while since I’ve been to a White Castle, but that doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy a good slider from time to time. However, I can say that when I’m placing an order, meat processing and distribution normally aren’t top of mind. That said, White Castle has announced some significant company changes, which will undoubtedly impact folks in both Kentucky and Indiana.

Kentucky White Castle Distribution Plant Closing

According to Fox 19, White Castle Distributing LLC will close operations at its Covington, Kentucky, facility, located on Rolling Hills Drive. The closure is set for October 11 and will impact 59 positions. However, 14 employees will remain at the facility through November to conduct warehousing and other closing operations. All positions at the plant will be officially eliminated on November 22.

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Indiana White Castle Meat Processing Plant Closing

In addition to shutting down its Kentucky plant, White Castle also plans to shutter its Lebanon, Indiana, meat processing facility. This closure will affect 38 workers. Manufacturing Dive reported that operations in both states will be shifted to other existing White Castle plants, and some employees will be offered ongoing employment in other parts of the business if they are interested. Supervisory employees will be offered severance packages, according to Fox 19.

Manufacturing Dive added that the layoffs are part of the fast food chain’s plan to streamline manufacturing. Meanwhile, the company is expanding its retail footprint, including the production of prepackaged and frozen food products. In January 2024, White Castle opened its third Arizona location in Goodyear, adding 50 new jobs. Additionally, in 2022, the company completed a $27 million expansion of its Vandalia, Ohio, retail food products plant, which doubled the plant's slider production capacity.