The summer of 2004 saw the commencement of a journey toward enlightenment, prosperity and, of course, cheeseburgers. Harold and Kumar, this generation’s answer to Cheech and Chong, went to White Castle, and the nation waited in anticipation to see whether or not they would fulfill their destiny.

The cult classic spawned a number sequels of varying quality, but no film has successfully resonated with its audience as well as the first installment. The movie features many memorable scenes, including a moment early on when Kumar realizes he left his cell phone back at his apartment. The two friends are only down the hall from their residence, but Kumar declares they have “gone too far” and opts not to return to retrieve his mobile device. Had this film taken place today, he probably would have wanted his phone by his side, as it would have made the journey to the restaurant much easier.

According to a press release from the company, the fast food chain has implemented a text alerts program to be used at a number of its locations. Whenever users are in the vicinity of participating restaurants, they will get a notification in the form of an SMS message, letting them know that delicious sliders are right around the corner.

Jamie Richardson, vice president of White Castle, said in the release that this decision exemplifies his company’s commitment to using cutting-edge technology to improve the customer experience. 

“At White Castle, we’re always looking for innovative ideas to stay connected with our customers,” Richardson said. 

This can be used as an effective form of text message marketing. White Castle is offering two free sliders to anyone who signs up for this service, which gets customers in the door and gives them a taste for the food. Once they are registered, users will be given a constant reminder that they can experience that taste again whenever  they find themselves near a White Castle. This can increase business by getting more people in the restaurants.

Swift SMS Gateway offers the tools organizations need to launch similar campaigns.