William E. Singer; Hamburger Chain Founder

William E. Singer, 87, founder of the Royal Castle hamburger chain who opened the first of his nickel hamburger restaurants in 1938 in Miami with a $1,000 investment. By the 1960s, the restaurants had become the third-largest short-order chain in the country. When the chain was sold in 1969, there were 175 Royal Castles in Florida, Georgia and Louisiana. The burgers were thin and about two half-dollars wide and were served often with birch beer, which came in tall, frosty mugs. Singer’s restaurants were painted orange and white on the outside and featured a crown logo and the motto, “Fit for a King.” The business issued stock in 1965, and was sold four years later. Singer got about $6 million for his interest. The chain went out of business in 1975. In Miami on Wednesday.