Culver's

What Culver's does

Culver's is a privately held, Wisconsin-headquartered fast-casual franchise restaurant chain founded in 1984 in Sauk City by Craig and Lea Culver and Craig's parents George and Ruth. The company operates as Culver Franchising System, LLC, granting licenses to independent owner-operator franchisees who are required to work on-site in their restaurants. Across more than 1,000 family-owned franchise locations in 26 U.S. states, Culver's sells a unified menu built around signature ButterBurgers® (made with fresh, never-frozen beef), Fresh Frozen Custard (produced in small batches daily from Wisconsin dairy), Wisconsin Cheese Curds, chicken, seafood, and a rotating Flavor of the Day custard program. The franchisor generates revenue from an initial $55,000 franchise fee, ongoing 4% service and 2.5% advertising royalties, and other streams, with franchise startup costs ranging from $2.6 million to $8.6 million and a $500,000 minimum liquid asset requirement.

The business has layered a modern technology and loyalty infrastructure on top of its franchise model. In November 2025, Culver's launched Delicious Rewards, a nationwide loyalty program earning 10 points per dollar spent across digital and in-restaurant channels, creating a unified customer identity layer. In May 2026, the chain partnered with Berry AI to deploy Vision AI camera analytics across all 1,000+ locations, capturing real-time service execution, vehicle flow, and throughput metrics within a privacy-first framework, with reported 70% drive-thru comp improvements and 20-40% reductions in service times. Distribution spans company-operated digital ordering via website and mobile app, third-party delivery through DoorDash, and physical restaurant locations.

Culver's reported FY2025 total operating revenues of $337.7 million and net income of $125.6 million, opened 44 new restaurants in 2025, and projects 59 new openings in 2026 — concentrated heavily in Florida, where 14 new locations are planned for 2026 and a separate franchisee group is opening four Central Florida locations within two years. The chain has been ranked among the top franchisee-satisfaction systems in industry surveys, with no disclosed parent company, private equity backing, or institutional investors.

Name

Culver's

Legal name

Culver Franchising System, LLC

Website

https://culvers.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Culver's is a privately held Wisconsin-based fast-casual franchise chain operating 1,000+ family-owned restaurants across 26 U.S. states, serving signature ButterBurgers, Fresh Frozen Custard, and Wisconsin Cheese Curds to individual consumers and families through an owner-operator franchise model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fast Casual Restaurants

akta.pro primary industry

Soft-Serve & Custard Stands (THAFAGAC)

Keywords

• Fast casual dining
• Franchise restaurant chain
• Frozen custard desserts
• Butterburgers menu
• Family restaurant chain

Headquarters

HQ city

Prairie Du Sac

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Restaurant Sales: Culver's generates revenue through food and beverage sales at over 1,000 family-owned/operated franchise locations across 26 states. Revenue comes from ButterBurgers, Fresh Frozen Custard, chicken sandwiches, seafood, and other menu items sold directly to consumers.
2. Franchise Fees: Initial franchise fee of $55,000 plus ongoing fees of 4% for service and 2.5% for advertising. Franchise opportunities require minimum $500,000 liquid assets and owner-operator involvement.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Culver's operates a fast-casual franchise restaurant system selling handcrafted ButterBurgers (fresh, never-frozen beef), Fresh Frozen Custard made in small batches daily, plus chicken, seafood, salads, sandwiches, sides, and value baskets across 1,000+ family-owned franchise locations in 26 U.S. states. The company also generates revenue from initial franchise fees ($55,000) and ongoing royalty (4%) and advertising (2.5%) fees paid by franchisee owner-operators.

Product overview

Culver's is a Wisconsin-based fast-casual restaurant chain offering a unified menu of handcrafted food products centered around its signature ButterBurgers and Fresh Frozen Custard. The core product portfolio includes burgers, chicken, seafood, sandwiches, salads, sides, and frozen desserts, all prepared with quality ingredients including fresh never-frozen beef, whole white meat chicken from American family farms, and family farm-fresh dairy. The chain operates on a franchise model with over 1,000 locations across 26 states. Supplementary offerings include the Delicious Rewards loyalty program for personalized engagement, the Berry AI Vision AI platform for operational analytics, Gift Cards, and the Thank You Farmers Project agricultural initiative. The Flavor of the Day rotating frozen custard program provides unique daily offerings at each location.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ButterBurgers Signature burgers made with fresh, never-frozen beef, seared to order on a lightly buttered, toasted bun; available in multiple variations including Cheese, Deluxe, Bacon Deluxe, Mushroom & Swiss, Sourdough Melt, and Wisconsin Swiss Melt. Sold to individual consumers at Culver's restaurants.
• Fresh Frozen Custard Fresh frozen custard made in small batches throughout the day with Wisconsin dairy; served as Concrete Mixers, Shakes, Malts, Floats, Sundaes, and Create Your Own dishes with rotating Flavor of the Day selections. Sold to individual consumers.
• Chicken Chicken items made with whole white meat chicken from American family farms, including Original Chicken Tenders, Buffalo Chicken Tenders, Crispy Chicken Sandwich, Spicy Crispy Chicken Sandwich, and Grilled Chicken Sandwich. Sold to individual consumers.
• Seafood Hand-battered seafood options including North Atlantic Cod Sandwich and Butterfly Jumbo Shrimp, prepared fresh and cooked to order. Sold to individual consumers.
• Value Baskets

Quantifiable outcome

• 14.2% system sales growth rate
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• University of Wisconsin BadgerscoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 30 June 2026Culver's became the official jersey patch sponsor for UW football, men's basketball, and men's hockey teams starting the 2026 season. The partnership marks UW's first jersey patch sponsorship deal under the NIL era, with Culver's logo displayed on game jerseys debuting September 6 against Notre Dame at Lambeau Field.
• Tareen Development PartnersminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 10 June 2026Tareen Development Partners completed a new Culver's restaurant development in Faribault, Minnesota, opening June 8, 2026. The project was developed in partnership with franchise owners Deanna Wesley, Taylor VanHoutan, and Anthony Gustafson of VGW Faribault Custard, LLC.
• Berry AIcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 May 2026Culver's partnered with Berry AI to deploy Vision AI technology across 1,000+ restaurant locations nationwide. The camera-based analytics system captures real-time operational data including service execution, vehicle movement, and throughput to support faster decision-making and consistent service standards.
• Dairy Farmers of WisconsincoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 March 2026Culver's partnered with Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin as part of the Born to Dairy marketing campaign, placing Wisconsin dairy farmers on city bus wraps and billboards. The campaign capitalizes on renewed national interest in dairy's nutritional value and food transparency.
• Just Women's SportsminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 16 March 2026Culver's partnered with Just Women's Sports to host fan activations at the 2026 NCAA Women's Final Four in Phoenix, Arizona. Culver's presented a pop-up Hall of Champions exhibit celebrating women's college basketball history with player meet-and-greets.
• JJ WattcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 29 July 2024Wisconsin native and NFL legend JJ Watt partnered with Culver's to launch his favorite meal, JJ's Way. This was Culver's first celebrity meal collaboration.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Shake Shack: Premium fast-casual burger brand; competes with Culver's on fresh-ingredient quality and hospitality positioning but at a higher price point with company-operated stores.

Direct peers

• Sonic Drive-In: Drive-in burger QSR explicitly referenced as the chain Culver's is on track to surpass as the 4th-largest U.S. burger chain; highly comparable in franchise model and drive-thru focus.
• Wendy's: National burger QSR chain with similar franchise model and value-basket pricing tier; directly competes with Culver's in the burger segment and is one of the chains Culver's is on track to overtake in system size.
• Burger King: One of the largest U.S. burger QSR chains competing head-to-head with Culver's for burger occasion; similar franchise-heavy unit model and value-tier menu positioning.
• Five Guys: Fast-casual burger chain competing in the same premium-fresh-beef positioning as Culver's ButterBurger; similar quality-ingredient narrative and customization-driven menu.
• Dairy Queen (DQ): Iconic franchise chain with a flagship frozen dessert product (soft-serve/custard) plus a broader food menu; the most direct analog for Culver's custard-forward foodservice identity.
• Steak 'n Shake: Midwest-rooted burger chain with similar heritage positioning and value-basket pricing; comparable regional brand strength and diner experience.
• Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers: Fast-casual chain combining steakburgers with frozen custard — directly mirrors Culver's ButterBurger + Fresh Frozen Custard dual-category concept and franchise model.

Regional players

• Portillo's: Midwest-rooted, fast-casual chain with strong regional cult following and expanding nationally; highly comparable to Culver's in heritage, hospitality-led brand, and franchise/operator culture.

Broad incumbents

• McDonald's: Largest U.S. burger QSR incumbent; competes broadly across value-tier burgers and drive-thru, setting the competitive ceiling on Culver's unit growth and pricing power.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/culvers269
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/CulversRestaurants
• Facebookfacebook.com/culvers
• Instagraminstagram.com/culvers
• TikToktiktok.com/@culversrestaurants
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/241687

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Culver's