Culver's Franchise Opportunities - History

George and Ruth Culver, their son, Craig, and his wife, Lea, opened the first Culver's restaurant in 1984 in Sauk City, Wisconsin. After a successful few years of operation, the Culvers decided to explore franchising their restaurant and opened a second location in 1987. Culver's expanded over the following years throughout Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Illinois. By the late 90s, the restaurant chain had locations across the entirety of the Midwest and one location beyond the Midwest in Texas. 

Culver's is still continuing to develop into new areas of the United States and has over 640 locations, nearly all of which are franchised.

How Much Do I Need To Own A Culver's Franchise?

Anyone interested in buying a Culver's franchise will need substantial capital backing to make their dreams a reality, with the franchise requiring that candidates demonstrate $350,000 to $600,000 in liquid capital on hand to qualify financially. The total initial investment to open a Culver's restaurant franchise ranges from $2,043,000 to $4,652,000. That includes a $55,000 franchise fee.

In addition to the upfront investment, franchisees must pay a royalty of 4.0% of gross revenue and contribute 2.5% of gross revenue toward the system's national advertising fund.

Across the entire franchise system, Culver's generates some $1.4 billion in annual sales.