Ohio › Accommodation and food services › 1,000 to 4,999 participants
Form 5500 statement · plan year 1 Jan 2024 to 31 Dec 2024
White Castle Profit Sharing Plan
Sponsored by White Castle System, Inc., Columbus, OH
Form 5500 information is as filed by the plan administrator with the Department of Labor and may be amended. Figures reflect the plan year shown, not current balances. Form 5500 contains no individual account balances. Look up the original filing at EFAST2.
In the plan year ending 31 Dec 2024, White Castle Profit Sharing Plan covered 4,819 participants and held $176M in net assets. The plan is a profit-sharing plan sponsored by White Castle System, Inc. of Columbus, Ohio.
Net assets came to $36,622 per participant, well below the $50,295 median for defined contribution plans with 1,000 to 4,999 participants and well above the $11,807 median for defined contribution plans in accommodation and food services. The figure is an average across everyone in the plan, including former employees with small balances; Form 5500 holds no individual account data.
Schedule C lists 5 service provider organisations paid $5,000 or more, with reported compensation of $103K: $21.31 per participant, well below the same-size median of $82.08. Administrative expenses charged to the plan were $118K. Schedule C does not capture every cost: fees netted from fund returns and fees the employer pays directly are outside it.
Across the filings on record, net assets went from $223M in 2009 to $176M in 2024 (down 21%), and participants from 10,287 to 4,819 (down 53%).
The independent accountant's opinion on the financial statements was unmodified (unqualified).
Compared with similar plans
| Measure | This plan | Same size | Same industry | All US DC plans |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net assets per participant | $36,622 | $50,295 | $11,807 | $53,102 |
| Employer contributions per active participant | — | $2,045 | $505 | $2,175 |
| Schedule C compensation per participant | $21.31 | $82.08 | $54.19 | $123 |
| Schedule C compensation, share of net assets | 0.06% | 0.17% | 0.49% | 0.26% |
| Administrative expenses per participant | $24.48 | $82.20 | $53.24 | $116 |
Peer columns are medians for plan year 2024 across defined contribution plans with 100 or more participants: 1,000 to 4,999 participants (10,207 plans), accommodation and food services (1,254) and all US plans (63,460). Fee medians cover plans that report an amount.
Trend by plan year
| Plan year | Participants | Net assets | Per participant | Employer contributions | Participant contributions | Schedule C compensation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 4,819 | $176M | $36,622 | — | — | $103K |
| 2023 | 5,975 | $174M | $29,137 | $875K | — | $129K |
| 2022 | 5,798 | $172M | $29,690 | $475K | — | $140K |
| 2021 | 6,042 | $220M | $36,367 | $6.5M | — | $157K |
| 2020 | 6,225 | $208M | $33,356 | $4.6M | — | $132K |
| 2019 | 5,784 | $209M | $36,054 | $2.1M | — | $72K |
| 2018 | 6,967 | $195M | $27,992 | $2.5M | — | $79K |
| 2017 | 7,617 | $217M | $28,505 | $2.2M | — | $72K |
| 2016 | 10,891 | $206M | $18,921 | $3.3M | — | $79K |
| 2015 | 10,332 | $208M | $20,163 | $575K | — | $80K |
| 2014 | 10,056 | $225M | $22,356 | — | — | $72K |
| 2013 | 10,696 | $232M | $21,701 | — | — | $68K |
| 2012 | 10,557 | $214M | $20,261 | — | — | $78K |
| 2011 | 10,544 | $213M | $20,154 | — | — | $79K |
| 2010 | 10,568 | $233M | $22,085 | $100K | — | $96K |
| 2009 | 10,287 | $223M | $21,722 | $888K | — | $63K |
Years in which the plan filed the full Form 5500 with 100 or more participants, from 2009. Plan year is the year in which the plan year began.
Statement for the year
- Net assets, beginning of year$174,094,123
- Employer contributions—
- Participant contributions—
- Rollovers and other contributions—
- Total contributions$0
- Total income, including investment results$23,845,576
- Benefits paid$21,340,357
- Administrative expenses$117,986
- Total expenses$21,458,343
- Net income$2,387,233
- Net transfers$0
- Net assets, end of year$176,481,356
Participants
- Active participants3,515
- Retired or separated, receiving benefits712
- Retired or separated, entitled to future benefits493
- Participants with account balances4,819
- Total participants, end of year4,819
Fees and service providers
| Organisation | Services reported | Direct | Indirect |
|---|---|---|---|
| White Castle Management Co. | Plan Administrator | $39,720 | $0 |
| Aon Consulting | Investment advisory (participants); Investment advisory (plan) | $23,609 | $0 |
| UBS Financial Services Inc. | Investment advisory (plan) | $20,464 | $0 |
| GBQ Partners | Accounting (including auditing) | $14,800 | $0 |
| Porter Wright Morris & Arthur LLP | Legal | $4,091 | $0 |
Schedule C, Part I line 2: providers that received $5,000 or more, with the form's own service codes. Individuals named on Schedule C (plan employees, individual trustees) are never shown and their compensation is excluded. Eligible indirect compensation disclosed by formula carries no dollar amount. See how to read Schedule C fees.
Administrative expenses on Schedule H
- Investment advisory and management fees$44,073
- Contract administrator fees$39,720
- Other administrative expenses$15,302
- IQPA audit fees$14,800
- Legal fees$4,091
- Total administrative expenses$117,986
Investment structure
Assets at year end by Schedule H category. The form shows the kind of vehicle holding the money, not the funds on the menu.
- Registered investment companies (mutual funds)$125M · 70.8%
- Employer real property$48.8M · 27.6%
- Participant loans$1.8M · 1.0%
- Receivables$606K · 0.3%
- Cash (interest and non-interest bearing)$307K · 0.2%
Audit and compliance answers, as filed
- Accountant's opinionUnmodified (unqualified)
- Audit scope limited under ERISA section 103(a)(3)(C)No
- Accounting firmGBQ Partners
- Participant contributions reported as transmitted lateNo
- Covered by a fidelity bondYes, $4,000,000
- Blackout period during the yearNo
These are the plan administrator's own answers on Schedule H, Part IV. A reported late transmittal is the filer's disclosure of a timing lapse, usually corrected through the Department of Labor's voluntary program; the amount is the total involved, not a loss.
Plan characteristics
2EProfit-sharing plan
Codes entered on Form 5500 line 8a, with the labels from the official instructions. Business code 722513: Limited-Service Restaurants.
Other plans of White Castle System, Inc.
| Plan | Participants | Net assets |
|---|---|---|
| White Castle Pension Plan and Trust | 3,951 | $168M |
| White Castle 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan | 2,208 | $96.7M |
Similar plans in Ohio
| Plan | Sponsor | Participants | Net assets | Per participant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avi Foodsystems, Inc. 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan | Avi Foodsystems Inc. | 6,350 | $111M | $17,521 |
| Cameron Mitchell Restaurants, LLC 401(k) Plan | Cameron Mitchell Restaurants, LLC | 4,030 | $27.4M | $6,796 |
| The Wendy's Company 401(k) Retirement Plan | The Wendy's Company | 10,779 | $294M | $27,273 |
| QSR Executive Enterprises 401(k) Plan | QSR Enterprises Grafton, Inc. | 3,854 | $2.9M | $742 |
| Bob Evans Restaurants, LLC 401(k) Retirement Plan | Bob Evans Restaurants, LLC | 13,675 | $107M | $7,828 |
| Gosh Enterprises, Inc. 401(k) Plan | Gosh Enterprises, Inc. | 2,727 | $12.6M | $4,626 |
Defined contribution plans in accommodation and food services closest in size.
Questions and answers
How big is White Castle Profit Sharing Plan?
4,819 participants at the end of the plan year ending 31 Dec 2024, of whom 3,515 were active employees, with net assets of $176,481,356. Among defined contribution plans that places it in the 1,000 to 4,999 participants band, which held 10,207 plans in plan year 2024.
What does White Castle System, Inc. contribute per participant?
This filing has no Schedule H financial statement, so employer contributions are not reported here.
What fees does the plan pay and how do they compare?
Schedule C reports $102,684 in compensation to service provider organisations, $21.31 per participant or 0.06% of net assets. The same-size median among plans reporting any Schedule C compensation was $82.08 per participant. Administrative expenses on Schedule H were $117,986. Investment costs deducted inside mutual funds and other pooled vehicles are not itemised on Form 5500, so these figures are a floor rather than a full cost.
Who runs the plan?
The sponsor is White Castle System, Inc.. Recordkeeping or administration: White Castle Management Co.. Investment advisory or management: Aon Consulting and UBS Financial Services Inc.. The financial statements were audited by GBQ Partners. Form 5500 also names the plan administrator's signer and other individuals; this site publishes organisations only.
Was the audit opinion unqualified?
The filing reports an unmodified (unqualified) opinion. Unmodified (formerly "unqualified") is the standard clean opinion.
How current is this, and does it show my balance?
This is the Form 5500 for the plan year 1 Jan 2024 to 31 Dec 2024, received by the Department of Labor on 14 Oct 2025. Filings are due seven months after the plan year ends, or nine and a half with an extension, so the public record always runs a year or more behind. It contains plan-level totals only: no individual balances, contributions or names of participants exist in the data.
Provenance
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration, Form 5500 research files (Form 5500, Schedule H, Schedule C) for plan years 2009 to 2025, public domain, with filings received through 24 Aug 2026. This page shows the latest filing on record for EIN 31-4340520, plan 001, received 14 Oct 2025; an amended filing replaces it at the next build. Medians and percentiles are computed by this site; see the methodology. Report an error through corrections.