For White Castle fans who camped out for Tempe opening, it's about more than just sliders

White Castle opened its second Arizona location in Tempe on Tuesday, Nov. 28. Or as White Castle's town crier called it: "the second castle in the kingdom of Arizona."

The fast-food restaurant received a royal welcome comprising kings and queens in crowns, who marched up a blue carpet in a royal procession led by the town crier, plus an appearance from Tempe Mayor Corey Woods, complete with plenty of blue and orange confetti raining from the sky.

To the average customer, White Castle is a good place to get classic sliders or cheesecake on a stick. But to some of the chain's super fans who attended the Tempe grand opening, White Castle is a haven that brings friends and lovers together and represents hope for a better future.

'I knew it was a safe place': What White Castle Tempe means to the chain's biggest fans

White Castle fans camped overnight to be first in line for the Tempe opening

Charles and Georgia Hutchison, two lifelong fans of White Castle, cut the ribbon at the restaurant's Tempe grand opening. And the first people in line for the ceremony, which took place at 8 a.m., were Nanette Grisham and Donna Berkseth.

The pair of friends arrived at 8 p.m. on Monday and spent the night talking together and playing card games at the restaurant's outside tables.

For Grisham and Berkseth, grand openings are a hobby. Their shared love of grand openings is rooted in an enjoyment of things that are "out of the norm," from the free food or merchandise to the chance to meet interesting people like company CEOs or city council members. They met at the grand opening of a different restaurant and have attended over a dozen restaurant openings together since. But White Castle is their favorite.

For Grisham, eating at White Castle helps her feel closer to the memory of her mother.

"White Castle will decorate for Valentine's Day with red tablecloths and hearts, and when you order your food, the workers bring it out to you, so it's special," Grisham said. "My mother, she's passed now, but she would always want to go to that with the family. It's just a good memory of her."

After meeting Grisham and Berkesth, Jamie Richardson, White Castle vice president, said: “They are first in our hearts and certainly strong candidates for future admission into the Craver Hall of Fame.”

Grisham's not the only one with a nostalgic connection to the chain. There were several other super fans in attendance.

Tempe Mayor Corey Woods has fond memories of White Castle

Tempe Mayor Corey Woods made an appearance and spoke at the White Castle grand opening on Tuesday prior to the ribbon cutting. He said he is excited to welcome the restaurant to the city for the sake of all of Tempe's residents, but also because of his own personal love for the chain.

"(As a child) I remember my grandparents saying to me, if I behaved in church, I could have a chance to go to White Castle afterwards. I still remember the visuals of leaving our church services, and then seeing that huge White Castle in the Bronx in New York City," Woods told The Republic.

White Castle opening in Tempe feels like homecoming for one 'royal couple'

Perhaps the biggest celebrities of the morning, at least to White Castle's most die-hard fans, were Jamie West and Drew Schmitt, who were married earlier this year at the White Castle located near Scottsdale in the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community.

For West, White Castle was her "safe place" when she struggled with homelessness during her teenage years. She described it as a place where she was "treated like a human."

When she heard about White Castle coming to Tempe, she was ecstatic.

"When I was first on the streets, I lived under the Mill Avenue bridge with a bunch of other homeless teenagers," she said. "Having (White Castle) come to Tempe and come full circle, it's really emotional for me."

The couple put together new outfits for the Tuesday morning grand opening, which included White Castle's motto "I crave, therefore I am" written in Latin on the back of Schmitt's armor.

How to visit White Castle in Tempe

White Castle is open in Tempe from 8 a.m. to 1 a.m. The restaurant's hours are expected to be extended once the staff is fully settled into the new location.

Details: 8735 S. Jewel St., Tempe. 623-273-2546, whitecastle.com.

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Reach the reporter at endia.fontanez@gannett.com. Follow @EndiaFontanez on X, formerly Twitter.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: White Castle Tempe grand opening had fans camping out overnight