A crew member turned Krystal career man with 48 years in the business, a Tennessee native who made Krystal a part of her wedding, a mother who only allows Krystal Lovers in the family, and a man who drives 300-plus miles from Huntington, Indiana, to Richmond, Kentucky, to satisfy his Krystal cravings are among the newest inductees into the 2009-10 Krystal Lovers Hall of Fame.
The honor, bestowed each year upon The Krystal Company’s most dedicated and diehard guests, celebrates the one-of-a-kind stories that have helped make Krystal a cultural icon in the South ever since its founding in 1932.
The 10 inductees, who represent 10 different cities and seven states, were selected from several thousand e-mails and letters sent in to The Krystal Company over the past year, and for the first time, three Hall of Famers were chosen from online submissions posted on the company’s Facebook Page. To commemorate the honor, each of the new Krystal-ebrities will be featured on his or her very own Krystal Hamburger Box, the same legendary hamburger containers that are nearly as famous as the fresh, hot, small, square hamburgers they hold.
“Our Krystal Lovers are the stars of our brand, and each year we’re thrilled to recognize our most passionate guests by inducting them into the Krystal Lovers Hall of Fame and featuring them on the packaging of our most famous menu item, the Krystal Hamburger,” says Fred Exum, chief executive officer, The Krystal Company.
“And with our growing online communities such as Facebook and Twitter, Krystal Lovers are able to share even more of their unique Krystal stories with fellow fans all across the world.”
The new boxes will be used in all 385 Krystal restaurants across the South, which are scheduled to roll out in March 2010. Each box will include an illustration of the Hall of Famer, a quote that describes his or her passion for Krystal as well as personal facts such as the inductee’s hometown and favorite Krystal meal. Inductees will also be honored with an official plaque that will hang in the restaurant, and he or she will also be forever enshrined on Krystal.com.
The class of 2009 Krystal Lovers Hall of Fame Inductees includes: Charlie Capps of Columbus, Ga.; Adam Suslak of Jacksonville, Fla.; Sidney Raper of Kilmichael, Miss.; Tracy Hale of Jackson, Tenn.; Terry Rogers of Franklin, Tenn.; Angela Sims Quinty of Houston, Texas; John Wilson of Louisville, Tenn.; Bob and Beverly Balch of St. Augustine, Fla.; Tracie Tolentino of Snellville, Ga. and Kris Underwood of Huntington, Ind.
