Culver’s celebrates 40 years of business

James Anderson remembers when the first Culver’s restaurant opened in Sauk City on July 18, 1984.

Anderson, who is now president of the village, said the location was previously an A&W drive-in operated by the Culver family and was a block from his childhood home.

“My brother Tim and I used to go there all the time when they first opened up,” Anderson remembered. “Craig (Culver) would laugh and say, ‘Jeez, I think you’re my best customers right now.’”

Culver’s is now celebrating 40 years of serving up ButterBurgers and frozen custard under a proudly Wisconsin brand.

Gov. Tony Evers proclaimed Thursday as “Culver’s Day” across Wisconsin in honor of the anniversary. Calling the company “a staple of America’s Dairyland,” the governor’s proclamation said Culver’s has supported Wisconsin’s dairy industry and the state’s economy as a whole.

While the chain now has 970 restaurants in 26 states, the company headquarters has remained in the neighboring village of Prairie du Sac, less than 3 miles from the first location.

“I love my hometown,” co-founder Craig Culver told WPR in 2021. “Some people want to get away from where they grew up. That was never the case with me. I’m very proud to be from here, and I’m very proud to grow the business here that we have.”

A Culver’s spokesperson said the company was unable to respond to WPR’s interview request on Wednesday.

Speaking in 2021, Culver said the business “just about didn’t make it” through the first year. But the restaurant eventually found success, opening their first franchise location in Baraboo in 1990. He said the company’s focus has stayed the same over the years.

“It’s not to see how many restaurants we can have some day,” Culver said. “My mission, our mission is how many good restaurants we can have and it takes great people to make that happen.”

Anderson said the Culver family has continued to invest in the Sauk City and Prairie du Sac communities, noting that the public library in both villages are named for Craig Culver’s parents, George and Ruth.

He said the success of the franchise has also been an economic boost to the community. Culver’s employs a number of people at their headquarters and Anderson said they’ve attracted new businesses like a Holiday Inn hotel.

“They could have built their headquarters any place they wanted to and big cities would have been happy to have them,” Anderson said. “They stayed right here in the community, which says a lot about them right there.”

For Anderson and his family, Culver’s is still their go-to restaurant choice, especially while traveling out of state.

“Whenever we see a Culver’s, we stop because we know that it’s always going to be the same,” he said. “They’ve kept Wisconsin cheese and unfrozen burger for their ButterBurger, so they’ve done a fantastic job.”

To celebrate the company’s anniversary, Culver’s said in a press release that a portion of Thursday’s sales will be donated to a local organization chosen by each restaurant.