• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Menu
  • Home
  • About
    • About Franchise Chatter
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Service
    • Affiliate Disclosures
  • Subscribers Hub
    • Login
    • New to Franchise Chatter? Start Here
    • America’s Most Lucrative Franchises
    • Franchises Ranked by Average Revenues
    • Franchises Ranked by Average Profits
    • Franchise Winners, Survivors and Losers Last Year
    • FDD Talk
    • Search by Name
  • Top Franchises
  • Franchise Earnings
  • Costs
  • Fees
  • Quiz
  • Search

FDD Talk: The Culver’s Franchise Opportunity (Financial Performance Analysis, Estimated Costs, and Other Important Stuff You Need to Know)

Last updated on May 9, 2017 by Franchise Chatter Leave a Comment
in FDD Talk: Food Franchises, Franchise Earnings, Frozen Dessert Franchise, Hamburger Franchise



Learn Which Franchises Can Make You Rich

In this FDD Talk 2016 post, you’ll learn the following:

  • Section I – Background information on the Culver’s franchise opportunity, including relevant news updates
  • Section II – Estimated initial investment for a Culver’s franchise, based on Item 7 of the company’s 2016 FDD
  • Section III – Presentation and analysis of Culver’s financial performance representations, based on Item 19 of the company’s 2016 FDD, including information on the:
  • 2015 average, median, high, and low gross sales for the 526 franchised and company-owned Culver’s Restaurants open for the entire 12-month period ended December 31, 2015
  • 2015 average food cost, paper cost, salaries and wages, employee benefits, direct operating expenses, supplies and chemicals, utilities, general and administrative expenses, repairs and maintenance, advertising royalty, local advertising, and service royalty, as a percentage of gross sales, for the 7 company-owned Culver’s Restaurants operated by subsidiaries of Culver Franchising System, Inc. (“CFSI”), open for the entire 12-month period ended December 31, 2015

Section I – Background Information

A Passion for Mom’s Food Leads to Successful Burger Franchise

The first Culver’s location was opened in 1984 in Sauk City, Wisconsin by Craig and Lea Culver and Craig’s parents, George and Ruth. George and Ruth had previously owned an A&W location which they operated from 1961 to 1968.

After graduating from college, Craig wanted to open a family restaurant that would serve his mother’s homemade burgers, which were topped with a dollop of butter. To go along with the “ButterBurgers,” Craig wanted to serve his favorite local treat, Fresh Frozen Custard.


🎯Find Good Franchises That Are Still AVAILABLE in Your Target Area (Free Tool)



🚀How to Find, Vet & FUND a Good Franchise. Watch Our Webinar Live or the Recording Later (Register Now – It's Free)



💰How Much Franchise Can You AFFORD? Use Our Free Financial Calculator


The Culvers had the opportunity to buy the same A&W location that they had sold in 1968 and turned it into the first Culver’s location.

In 1987, the Culvers experimented with franchising and granted a franchisee a loose licensing agreement, charging no fees or royalties. A year later, the franchisee walked away from the business and the Culvers established a set of standard franchising procedures that would form the basis for those currently used by Culver Franchising System, Inc.

Three years later, in 1990, the Culvers tried franchising again in Baraboo, Wisconsin and this time, they were successful. New locations continued to open throughout Wisconsin and in 1993, the first location outside of the state opened in Buffalo, Minnesota.

Throughout the early 90s, Culver’s continued to expand in the Midwest. By the late 90s, the company had expanded to even more regions in the U.S. Today, Culver’s has more than 500 locations throughout the country.

New Culver’s CEO Named

Phillip Keiser, who became CEO of Culver’s Franchising System Inc. after Craig Culver stepped down in 2015, died in early October 2016. Keiser died a few days before his 61st birthday of natural causes.

America's Most Lucrative Franchises of the Year

Keiser had worked for Culver’s for more than 20 years and many at the company say that he was a large part of Culver’s expansion and success. Keiser had previously served as Culver’s director of operations and vice president of operations. In 2003, Keiser was named president and chief operating officer.

Craig Culver returned to the company to step in as interim CEO. It did not take long for the company to find a permanent replacement and in November 2016, it was announced that Joseph Koss, CFO of Culver’s would become the company’s president and CEO effective January 1, 2017.

Also effective January 1, 2017, Senior Vice President Jeff Bonner became chief operating officer.

Continued Growth and Expansion

With over 30 years in business, Culver’s continues to maintain steady growth and expansion throughout the United States. In 2015, Culver’s opened 31 new locations. For 2016, the company planned at least 40 more locations with the hopes of reaching 600 units by the end of that year.

Five of the restaurants opened in 2015 were part of Culver’s Mentor Program where members of a franchisee’s management team partner with their current franchisee to open their own Culver’s.


🎯Find Good Franchises That Are Still AVAILABLE in Your Target Area (Free Tool)



🚀How to Find, Vet & FUND a Good Franchise. Watch Our Webinar Live or the Recording Later (Register Now – It's Free)



💰How Much Franchise Can You AFFORD? Use Our Free Financial Calculator


In addition to the new locations in 2015, 51 existing Culver’s locations were updated to reflect the current branding. More updates were planned for 2016 and 2017.

Culver’s continues to expand into new areas in the U.S. and in 2016 the company opened its first locations in Georgia and North Carolina.

Raising Money to Thank Farmers

One of Culver’s largest initiatives is to raise awareness for all the hard work that farmers across America do to provide our food. Culver’s has its Thank You Farmers program and the company holds many special events to raise money for the Future Farmers of America (FFA) and other agricultural organizations.

On May 5, 2016, Culver’s held its second annual Scoops of Thanks Day. For the event, customers received a scoop of Culver’s famous Fresh Frozen Custard when they donated $1 to FFA or the local agricultural organization that a Culver’s location chose.

At last year’s event, Culver’s raised $56,500. To date, Culver’s has raised nearly $1 million for the National FFA Organization and Foundation, local FFA chapters, and a variety of local agricultural organizations.

High Ranking on Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500

Overall, Culver’s has done fairly well on Entrepreneur’s annual Franchise 500 list. For 2017, Culver’s has earned the No. 20 spot, its highest ranking to date. In 2016, Culver’s took the No. 89 spot, which is down slightly from 2015’s rank of No. 85. Culver’s lowest spot was in 2009 at No. 355.

Section II – Estimated Costs

  • Please click here for detailed estimates of Culver’s franchise costs, based on Item 7 of the company’s 2016 FDD (updated).

Section III – Financial Performance Representations (Item 19, 2016 FDD) and Analysis



To Access the Rest of This Article and Other Premium, Income-Enhancing Content, Subscribe Now or Log In.

Gain the Insider Information (and Actual Earnings Data) You Need to Make a Safe and Smart Franchise Investment. Click Here to Learn More.



Gain the Insider Information (and Actual Earnings Data) You Need to Make a Safe and Smart Franchise Investment - See more at: https://www.franchisechatter.com/register/#sthash.le7wKJKM.dpuf

🎯Find Good Franchises That Are Still AVAILABLE in Your Target Area (Free Tool)



🚀How to Find, Vet & FUND a Good Franchise. Watch Our Webinar Live or the Recording Later (Register Now – It's Free)



💰How Much Franchise Can You AFFORD? Use Our Free Financial Calculator



Franchises Ranked by Average Revenues and Profits



Franchise Winners and Losers Last Year

Tagged as: Culver's

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Previous post: FDD Talk: The Teriyaki Madness Franchise Opportunity (Financial Performance Analysis, Estimated Costs, and Other Important Stuff You Need to Know)

Next post: FDD Talk: The BrightStar Care Franchise Opportunity (Financial Performance Analysis, Estimated Costs, and Other Important Stuff You Need to Know)

Primary Sidebar

⚠️Buying a Franchise on Your Own Can Be Overwhelming

✅ Get the guidance and support you need every step of the way (including funding 💵) from an experienced franchise broker at no cost to you.

✅ Fill out this form and a specialist from the Franchise Brokers Association will reach out to you.

🚀How to Find, Vet and FUND a Good Franchise (Webinar)

✅ Is Franchising a Path for You? – Jun. 2 (Fri.), 11 a.m. EST

✅ Essential Services – Great for Good Times and Bad – Jun. 6 (Tues.), 4 p.m. EST

✅ Register Now to Get Free Access to Recordings of Both Webinars

Register Now

⭐️Franchise Chatter is reader-supported. We may receive a commission for leads generated from our site.

As seen in:  New York Times, Bloomberg Businessweek, and CNBC

Login

Remember Me
Register | Lost your Password?
Reminder: Your username and password are case-sensitive.

Need help? Email franchisechatterblog@gmail.com

👍”Your website and you have been instrumental in finding this franchise opportunity and I am overwhelmingly grateful.” (David F., subscriber)

🏆 Best Franchises by Industry

Best Franchises by Industry (All Lists)

Best Gym and Fitness Franchises

Best Pizza Franchises

Best Sandwich Franchises

Best Childcare Franchises

Best Ice Cream Franchises

Best Coffee Franchises

Best Hamburger Franchises

Best Salon and Beauty Franchises

Best Chicken Franchises

Best Smoothie and Juice Franchises

Best Maid Service Franchises

Best Mexican Restaurant Franchises

Best Massage Service Franchises

Best Tutoring Franchises

Best Auto Repair Franchises

Best Auto Oil Change Franchises

Best Asian Restaurant Franchises

Best Pet Franchises

Best Commercial Cleaning Franchises

Best Sports Bar Franchises

Best Baked Goods Franchises

Best Moving/Junk Removal Franchises

Best Mailbox Franchises

Best Apparel Retail Franchises

Best Senior Care Franchises

Best Restoration Franchises

Best Tech Franchises

Best Travel Agency Franchises

Best Trampoline Park Franchises

Best Tools Distribution Franchises

Best Property Management Franchises

Best Real Estate Franchises

Best Automotive Wheels and Tires Franchises

Best Weight Loss Franchises

Best Flooring Franchises

Best Eye Care Franchises

Best Physical Therapy Franchises

Best Acai Bowl Franchises

Best Poké Bowl Franchises

Best Donut Franchises

Best Kitchen and Bath Remodeling Franchises

Best Window Coverings Franchises

Best Plumbing Franchises

Best Home Inspection Franchises

Best Garage Franchises

Best Barbershop Franchises

Best Laundromat Franchises

Best Storage Unit Franchises

Best Car Wash Service Franchises

🚀 Daily FDD Talk Posts

House Doctors Franchise

Rubbish Works Franchise

Mr. Rooter Franchise

Planet Smoothie Franchise

Soccer Stars Franchise

Express Employment Professionals Franchise

beem Light Sauna Franchise

The Lash Lounge Franchise

ARCpoint Labs Franchise

Hawaii Fluid Art Franchise

Snapology Franchise

Spherion Staffing Franchise

Aussie Pet Mobile Franchise

Perspire Sauna Studio Franchise

Code Ninjas Franchise

Merry Maids Franchise

Mighty Dog Roofing Franchise

Mister Sparky Franchise

City Wide Franchise

Maid Right Franchise

Benjamin Franklin Plumbing Franchise

America’s Swimming Pool Company Franchise

Gatsby Glass Franchise

ISI Elite Training Franchise

Blue Moon Estate Sales Franchise

Asurion Tech Repair & Solutions Franchise

Window Hero Franchise

Building Kidz School Franchise

Mint Condition Franchise

Caribou Coffee Franchise

Closets by Design Franchise

Fundraising University Franchise

Mr. Appliance Franchise

Strickland Brothers 10 Minute Oil Change Franchise

Showhomes Franchise

Grand Welcome Franchise

Nutty Scientists Franchise

1-800 Water Damage Franchise

Precision Door Service Franchise

TeamLogic IT Franchise

Lifetime Green Coatings Franchise

Alloy Franchise

British Swim School Franchise

Wallaby Windows Franchise

United Water Restoration Group Franchise

Hallmark Homecare Franchise

Commercial Investors Group Franchise

Sharkey’s Cuts for Kids Franchise

Techy Franchise

NexGenEsis Healthcare Franchise

Franchise Chatter © 2023