This Florida Fast Food Chain Inspired By White Castle Peaked In The '60s — Why Did It Fail?

It's no secret that White Castle set the early standard for fast food with its fast prep and clean kitchens. In Miami, Florida, one local chain copied the idea and made it its own. That chain was Royal Castle. For a while in the 1960s, it was everywhere in Florida. People lined up for 15-cent sliders and mugs of house birch beer. But bigger chains like White Castle and shaky business decisions would eventually drag the Royal Castle down.

William Singer opened the first Royal Castle in 1938. Burgers came round instead of square, topped with onions and pickles. You could wash them down with Castle Cola or birch beer (which is different than root beer, by the way). The menu had more than just burgers — eggs cooked in butter, toast with jelly, bacon, and grits. You could also get fries, shakes, chili, donuts, and a giant fish sandwich with tartar sauce. It was closer to a full diner lineup than a typical burger stand. The first shops were open-air, but the design later changed. The boxy buildings had wide windows and clean lines that were hard to miss as you drove by.

By the mid-1960s, the Florida-based chain had expanded to more than 150 locations across Florida and into Georgia, Louisiana, and Ohio. It went public in 1965 and was sold in 1969 to Performance Systems Inc. That sale would mark the start of its decline. Performance Systems soon faced SEC scrutiny over shady financial reporting, and by the end of 1970, the losses were too heavy. Stores were sold off in an effort to stop the bleeding.

A few years after the first Miami restaurant opened, William Singer's brother started a separate Royal Castle operation in Ohio. It grew to 32 locations across Ohio and Michigan but was bought out in 1973 and shut down two years later due to poor sales. At the same time, the Miami-based chain was under pressure from bigger names like McDonald's, which was expanding internationally at the time. Profits at Royal Castle dropped, and, in trying to keep pace with fast service, the fast food chain lost the quality and flavor that originally made it popular.

By 1975, the company had filed for bankruptcy, and four years later, it was liquidated. Financial losses weren't its only dark mark. Until 1967, women couldn't work there, and Black customers weren't allowed to order inside until the mid-1960s. In an ironic twist, it was James Brimberry — Royal Castle's first Black employee — who bought up locations during the liquidation and kept the brand alive with his family. Most of the chain is long gone now. A few of those buildings still stand, reused for other businesses, as has happened with many failed restaurant chains we miss, but there is still one Royal Castle standing in Miami.

Royal Castle once ruled Florida, but in the end, only a single location remained — and it stands proudly in Miami. The Brimberry family, who kept the chain alive after liquidation, ran this last outpost for decades. Jim Brimberry personally managed the restaurant for many years, and, in 2019, his grandson, James S. Brimberry, stepped into that role. Brimberry kept the legacy of Royal Castle alive for several years until he sold the business in 2023 to new owners, who, according to the restaurant's website, included family members.

Even through these changes, the menu stayed true to its roots, offering all-day breakfast — fluffy pancakes, omelettes, sausage, and grits — and, of course, the original sliders that made Royal Castle famous. Specials like the Feast Burger and even a grilled liver sandwich keep that classic diner spirit alive. For many locals, eating there felt like stepping back into a piece of Florida history. As of June 2025, the last Royal Castle was still serving its nostalgic fare. Although the restaurant is currently listed on Google Maps as "temporarily closed," with no reason given and no timeline offered for reopening. Whether this is the end or just a pause, Floridians haven't forgotten the taste of Royal Castle.