Meet the couple camping out for 96 hours to be Arizona White Castle's first customers

Standing in the doorway to her spacious travel trailer with a sliver metal crown atop her head, Jamie West looks south, across a busy parking lot just off Loop 101 near Scottsdale.

"I have a bit of a White Castle obsession," she says with a smile. 

She's gazing across the blacktop at a brand new cream-colored building adorned with a tall, glass parapet made with black steel. At the entrance, people scurry back and forth setting up queues under large pop-up tents. There's one other travel trailer sitting several parking spaces away. 

In about 44 hours, the doors will finally open at Arizona's first White Castle restaurant.

When they do, West and her husband, Drew Schmitt, will be the first ones in line.

More:An exclusive look at Arizona's first White Castle and 10 things to know for opening day

Being first comes with 'no regrets'

West and Schmitt parked their trailer outside Arizona's first White Castle around 9 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 19. The restaurant won't open to hungry fans until 8 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 23. 

The company expects hundreds of fans to show up. Inside the restaurant, the dry storage and walk-in cooler are so full of boxes of ingredients, you can barely move. When more hardcore fans begin to arrive, they'll be given lanyards with numbers to hold their spot in line. 

A handwritten sign on the side of Schmitt and West's trailer reads "Storming the Castle" and West sports not only a crown, but also toy swords and a shield.

The couple didn't plan on being the first two people to show up for the opening. But after returning from a trip to northern Arizona on Friday and spending one night at their home in Fountain Hills, West decided they should head to the Castle to camp out. 

Since their home is only about a half an hour away, the couple have been able to return for anything they might have forgotten and check on their six pet rabbits, which is exactly what Schmitt was off doing on Monday morning. He joined the conversation with The Arizona Republic by video chat.

It was "Jamie's good instinct" that earned the couple their premier spot for the highly-anticipated opening, Schmitt says.

"No regrets," he adds with a grin. 

Why they're 'Storming the Castle'

Schmitt grew up in Newark, Ohio, about 33 miles east of Columbus, in the heart of White Castle country. But West, an Arizona native, also has a deep connection to the brand and its signature sliders. 

From age 3 to 13, West was in the Arizona foster care system, she says, after that, she struck off on her own.

"It's a very unusual way to grow up," she says. "But I experienced so much." 

While traveling the country, White Castle represented a reliable, affordable source of food during a time when she otherwise might have gone hungry. 

"If I worked my hardest and saved my money, I could afford White Castle," she remembers.

"It was always, 'How much money do I have in my pocket?'" she says, laughing as she pantomimes patting her pockets for change. 

These days, West and Schmitt say they enjoy seeking out the nearest White Castle whenever they go back to Ohio. When they find one and can sit down to enjoy a meal, it's nothing short of a celebration. 

"We usually celebrate with 20 sliders each," she says. "We always say, 'Everything in moderation,' 'Nothing in excess — except White Castle.'" 

While Schmitt enjoys ordering elaborate custom menu items — West describes one that involves making a sandwich out of only the bottom half of the slider buns and discarding the tops — she prefers to keep it simple. 

"You know what? I always go with the original," she says.  

'They've got some great fans out here'

Already, others have begun to join the line of fans flocking to White Castle for the opening of the company's largest restaurant yet.

On Monday, Oct. 21, local radio personality Ben Campbell of KNIX announced his plans to also camp out in advance of the opening. Later that morning, another man rolled in with plans to sleep in his car, a spokesperson for the company says.

FOR SUBSCRIBERS: The ultimate guide to neighborhood Italian food in Phoenix

West and Schmitt welcome the company. Each night so far, they say fans have been drawn to the building by the glow of its blue and yellow lights, wondering if they can get their slider fix yet. 

Schmitt says the couple sit outside their trailer in lawn chairs and chat with these White Castle fans. They've been sharing their stories with the couple. Funny ones. Emotional ones. People from all walks of life sharing the stories of what one fast-food company means to them. 

"They've got some great fans out here," Schmitt says.

Details: White Castle opens at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 23. 9310 E. Via de Ventura in the Talking Stick Entertainment District near Scottsdale. whitecastle.com.

Reach the reporter at lauren.saria@azcentral.com. Follow her on Instagram at laurensaria, on Twitter at lhsaria and on Facebook at facebook.com/lsaria.