Culver's: Craig Culver

How I Built This · 17 Oct 2022 · 1h 07m

What this episode covers

Craig Culver, founder of Culver's, recounts building a fast-food empire from a single Wisconsin restaurant into nearly 900 locations. He details the pivot from an A&W franchise to creating the Butter Burger and frozen custard, the strategic decision to install a drive-through, and the challenges of franchising after a bad first experience. Culver also discusses maintaining brand integrity, the importance of employee-centric culture, and expanding via concentric circles to mitigate risk.

Mentioned

Companies
Culver's, A&W, McDonald's, Hardy's, Dairy Queen, Ritz Supper Club, U.S. Bank, Chipotle, In-N-Out Burger, Raising Cane's, Taco Bell, Chick-fil-A, Burger King, KFC, Steak 'n Shake, Jimmy John's, Rourke Capital Partners
Products
Butter Burger, Frozen Custard, Kurder Burger

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