Culver's becomes a fast-food force with 'butter burgers' and frozen custard (2024)

Culver's becomes a fast-food force with 'butter burgers' and frozen custard (1)

PRAIRIE DU SAC, Wis. – A hunk of fresh ground beef hits the hot flat-top grill in the test kitchen at Culver's headquarters.

Craig Culver, 68, uses a largepolished metal spatula to pressthe beef into perfectly round patties. That grill isn’t quite hot enough, by the way, he comments.

When gray edges form around the patties,they're ready to flip. The flip reveals a layer caked with crispy bits.

“That’s exactly what we’re looking for,” Culver says.

Culver can’t even estimate the number of burgers he has flipped since founding the first Culver's with his wife, Lea, and his parents, George and Ruth.

The chain, which celebrated its 34th birthdayJuly 18,has become known for its burgers, cheese curds and frozen custard. It is the Midwest's answer to regional chains that get national attention, such asNew York-based Shake Shack and California's In-N-Out Burger.

But Culver's tops both in annual sales– $1.43billionlastyear, compared to Shake Shack's $359million and In-N-Out's $908million, according to the Top 500 Chain Restaurant Report 2018 by Technomics, a restaurant and food service research company.

Culver'sranks 42nd overall, beating other regional stalwarts White Castle($547million), Steak 'n Shake ($1.09 billion)and Waffle House ($1.33 billion), too.

Opening more than 655 restaurants in 24 states – more than 130 alone are in its home state of Wisconsin – bearing the family’s name initially wasn'tpart of the plan.

That plan begins in 1984 when Cluver, having graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh and having had stints as a manager at various fast-food chains, stood in a former A&W root beer building in Sauk City, Wisconsin, that would become the first Culver's. It hada greatview of the nearby Hardee’s and a Dairy Queen.

It took three years for the first Culver’s to turn a profit.

“It was like throwing a party and nobody ever came,” Culver says of those early days.“Nobody knew who we were. Itwas slim pickings.”

Culver's becomes a fast-food force with 'butter burgers' and frozen custard (3)

Early to the 'fast casual' trend

Culver's was a fast-casual eatery – order at the counter, take a number to your seat, wait for your food to be delivered – decades before it would be the hottest trend in the food industry.

“We were a pioneer in that,” Culver says. “We wanted to make it to order.I like to call us the slowest fast-food restaurant in the world, andwe’re proud of it.”

Though it's not out to break speed records,Culver's is a true-blue performer. The average Culver's generatedabout $2.2million in sales per unit last year, according to the Top 500 Chain Restaurant Report 2018 by Technomics, while McDonald's grabbed $2.6 million per restaurant.

David Henkes, a senior principal at Technomic, says while Culver's near 10 percent sales increase over 2016is partly due to adding new restaurants,don't discount the importance of its Wisconsin-ness.

As Culver's CEOJoseph Kossputs it: "We've taken this Wisconsin hospitality and bring it to all the markets we come to."

Culver's becomes a fast-food force with 'butter burgers' and frozen custard (4)

To make it happen, Craig and Lea Culverput in the long hours restaurant life demands while still finding time to raise their three daughters.Mandy Culver, the middle child, whose birthday falls on the anniversary of the first restaurant's opening, jokes that growing upshe thought her dad wore french-fry cologne.

Inspired by TV's 'Happy Days'

Culver knew butter burgers would be a hit from the times when his family operated a supper club. He was talking with afriend when Culver says thelight bulb went off in his head. If he ever had his own restaurant, he was going to serve butter burgers.

Culver's butter burgers were inspired by a Milwaukee drive-in that wasthe model for Arnold's on the TV show “Happy Days.” Its frozen custard is patterned after an Oshkoshdrive-in from Craig Culver’s college days. And, of course, there arecheese curds.

Culver's becomes a fast-food force with 'butter burgers' and frozen custard (5)
Culver's becomes a fast-food force with 'butter burgers' and frozen custard (6)

Wisconsin is home to two kinds of butter burgers:

• Butter burgers served with generous pats of butter melting between toasted buns and hot beef patties.

• Butter burgers built with a toasted buttered bun atop freshly pressed ground beef patties.

Culver's servesthe second variety. They've even trademarked ButterBurger.

"We weren’t sure what a butter burger was going to bebut decided we’d butter and toast the bun,” Culver says. “It’s really an old tavern-style burger, using fresh beef we press into a hot grill. It took us a couple of weeks after opening to figure that out."

Frozen custard: It's sort of like ice cream

Frozen custard didn’t need figuringout, though a little unintended marketing didn’t hurt.

“My father would take a pint or quart down to the bank when making a deposit and give it to the tellers,” Culver recalled. “We didn’t think of it at the time as marketing, but it really was.”

Today, Culver’s features a flavor of the day. Though it started more as a flavor of the week. Caramel pecan – still Craig’sfavorite– wasthefirstbig seller.

"The custard piece is a different twist," Henkes said. "That's a uniquely Wisconsin thing."

It's menu has resonated around the country. Culver's has all the pieces in place to expand into every state from coast to coast, Henkes says.

Culver, though retired from the CEO role, plays a vital role in the company as chairman of the board, spokesman and mentor.

Koss started as a controller 21 years ago and worked his way up to CFO before taking over as head of the Culver's franchise.

As the person whose job is to watch the bottom line, Koss says one of his greatest experiences has been to see a teenager with apart-time Culver's job go on to becomea franchisee.

"I think the entire Culver family has created the culture," Koss said. "It is the most important part as far as our growth."

Culver's becomes a fast-food force with 'butter burgers' and frozen custard (2024)

FAQs

What is the most unhealthy thing at Culvers? ›

The Bratwurst Pub Burger at Culver's is considered unhealthy due to its high calorie and fat content, as well as its high sodium content, Chun comments. "One serving of the Bratwurst Pub Burger contains 1,010 calories, 65 grams of fat (28 grams of saturated fat), and 2,100 milligrams of sodium.

What makes Culvers Burgers ButterBurgers? ›

It's a Culver's family specialty and the burger that started it all. We use only fresh, never frozen beef, seared on a grill after you order and served on a lightly buttered, toasted bun.

Where did Culver's fast food originate? ›

In 1984, Craig and Lea Culver, along with Craig's parents George and Ruth, opened the very first Culver's in the family's beloved hometown of Sauk City, Wisconsin, and began serving ButterBurgers® and Frozen Custard.

How would you describe Culver's Frozen Custard to a guest? ›

Culver's Fresh Frozen Custard is supremely thick and creamy and is naturally richer than ice cream. It's made daily inside our restaurants using family farm-fresh dairy. Slow churning it in small batches all day long gives our custard its silky-smooth texture and irresistible taste.

What is the Culver's scandal? ›

Waukesha County prosecutors have charged two Muskego Culver's employees with extortion after they allegedly threatened to expose a co-worker's affair unless he paid them thousands of dollars. Cameron Rueda, 29, of Waukesha is charged with extorting $1,100 from the victim inside the restaurant in late 2022.

Is Culvers frozen custard bad for you? ›

The dish contains 14 grams of fat in total, nine of which are saturated fats. With 95 milligrams of cholesterol and 29 grams of sugar, a cup of chocolate custard is not exactly a diet-friendly food. Add a cone on top of that, and the overall dish is pretty heavy.

Why do Culvers burgers taste so good? ›

Both recipes entail topping the patty with real Wisconsin butter while it was sizzling on the grill, letting the rich, creamy goodness ooze into the meat. From that time on, diners, drive-ins, and greasy spoons across the state have applied everything from a smear to a pat of melty butter to their burgers.

Does Culvers use real beef? ›

It's a Culver's family specialty with a little extra. We use only fresh, never frozen beef, seared on a grill after you order.

Does Culvers use real cheese? ›

Culver's cheese is made using farm fresh dairy from Wisconsin family farms.

Who owns Culvers? ›

Culver's
Culver's in Onalaska, Wisconsin, featuring the traditional blue metal roof
Revenue$3.2 billion
OwnerCulver family
Number of employees25,000
Websitewww.culvers.com
11 more rows

What state has the most Culver's? ›

As of June, 2024, there are 998 Culver's restaurants in the United States. These restaurants are located in 26 states and territories and 793 cities. The state with the most Culver's locations is Wisconsin, with 136 restaurants.

What is Culver's most famous for? ›

Culver's is a fast-food restaurant that started in Wisconsin and has since expanded to 26 states. The chain is known for its ButterBurgers, cheese curds, and frozen custard.

Why is Culver's custard so good? ›

Our frozen custard is special because it's made fresh: slow-churned, right in the restaurant, in small batches.

Does Culver's make their own custard? ›

We prepare each small batch of our Fresh Frozen Custard right in our restaurants, all throughout the day so it's always lusciously thick and creamy. In addition to classic Chocolate and Vanilla, we also feature a Flavor of the Day that's different at every location and changes daily.

Why do they call it frozen custard? ›

The main distinction is eggs: ice cream may have them, but custard always does. The FDA mandates that any product sold as ice cream must contain a minimum of 10% butterfat, and ice cream made without eggs is often called “American” style, though there's nothing especially American about the concept.

What is the healthiest thing to get from Culvers? ›

The healthiest food on the menu at Culver's will always be a salad with raw vegetables, grilled chicken, and water. But, there are also decent alternative options at Culver's if you are not in the mood for that. The Chicken Cashew Salad has 460 calories, 870 mg sodium, 3 g fiber, and a generous 46 g protein.

What is the number 1 most unhealthy fast-food option? ›

Don't Eat That! The Unhealthiest Option At Every Major Fast Food Joint
  • Burger King's Triple Whopper with Cheese. ...
  • Chick-fil-A's Hash Brown Scramble Burrito with Sausage. ...
  • McDonald's Big Breakfast with Hotcakes. ...
  • Taco Bell's Breakfast Crunchwrap with Sausage. ...
  • Wendy's Pretzel Bacon Pub Triple. ...
  • In-N-Out's Double Double.
Feb 29, 2024

What is the most unhealthy crisp? ›

  • Worst crisps overall: Pringles Original.
  • Worst crisps for salt content: Doritos Cool Tortilla Chips.
  • Worst crisps for fat content: McCoy's Flame Grilled Steak.
Oct 4, 2022

Are Culvers burgers good for you? ›

Culver's has one of the healthiest fast food burger options according to dietitians. The specific burger that made the cut is the single original butterburger.

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