Candles and tablecloth at White Castle: How a Valentine’s Day tradition sprouted over 30 years ago and spread nationwide

Valentine’s Day dinner at White Castle with candles, attentive wait staff and white tablecloths was a treasured experience for Krystal Gray and her mother, Cornelia Murphy.

This year, Gray will bring along a photo of her mother, who died last spring at age 80, and place it on the table she has still reserved at one of the fast-food chain restaurants in the Detroit suburb of Ferndale.

“It wouldn’t be the same without her,” Gray said. “I wanted something to make me feel better...