White Castle closing longtime Queens location

NEW YORK - One of the oldest White Castle locations in the country has closed for good.

White Castle closed the Northern Blvd. location in Jackson Heights at 11 p.m. on Wednesday night.  It originally opened on Aug. 1, 1935.

The company says to have a run of more than 86 years for a fast food restaurant operating on the same corner is unheard of.  But the company says that with rising costs it made a tough call to close the location.  When it opened sliders cost a nickel.  They cost a lot more now but the prices have not kept up with the amount of money it takes to turn a profit.

"It's always a tough decision as a family-owned business," White Castle V.P. Jamie Richardson says.  "The last thing we want ever want to do is close a location."

A hand-made sign left at the restaurant read, "We will miss you.  Thank you for serving us for 86 years."  It was signed "Love, the residents of Jackson Heights."

The employees have been offered ongoing employment with other locations.  The company says all employees have accepted positions at nearby locations.

There are plenty of other White Castles in Queens.  The company says it has no plans to close locations in Bayside, Elmhurst, Jamaica, Ozone Park, Sunnyside, and Queens Village.

While the Jackson Heights location was one of the oldest in the U.S., it wasn't the oldest in New York City.  A White Castle that opened in 1930 in the Fordham section of the Bronx has that distinction.