Franchise Overview

Take the first step! Submit your completed online Franchise Inquiry form today and a Culver’s Franchise Representative will contact you.

There’s more to becoming a Culver’s franchisee than meeting a set of financial requirements. In our conversations, we’ll review your inquiry, discuss your entrepreneurial goals and share with you Culver’s Franchise Disclosure Document. The FDD will help you to understand our organization and the opportunity we offer you in a potential long-term business relationship.

This is your opportunity to find out what it’s like to be a Culver’s franchisee and decide whether Culver’s is the right franchisor for you. You’ll spend six days in a Culver’s uniform, working in the restaurant to get a feel for Culver’s unique culture and the day-to-day demands of a busy restaurant environment. The experience also allows you the opportunity to meet members of our executive team. In all fairness, Discovery Week is also our opportunity to evaluate your fitness to become a Culver’s franchisee. We’re looking for candidates who are thoroughly engaged and are on board with living up to our high standards.

If you have been approved to continue the process based on your Discovery Week, we will assist you in the site selection process. You, and any investors, will be invited to attend a Development Day and Webinars, in which we will provide you an overview of financing, real estate, construction, equipment, operations and training process. Every situation is unique, however, this is your opportunity to gain knowledge from the Culver’s Support Team’s years of experience and expertise. We’ll review your proposed site’s demographics, placement within the trade area and specific characteristics of that area. If you don’t have a particular trade area in mind, we will help you locate one.

It is after entering into a franchise agreement you officially become a Culver’s franchisee. Your initial franchise fee puts you in possession of a very valuable asset: the right to use the Culver’s brand, which includes our logo marks, operating systems, menu items and all the goodwill that’s been generated since the beginning. Now you get to roll up your sleeves and work to get your restaurant up and running. We offer valuable services to help you choose a site, design and build your restaurant and provide opening support.

Providing opportunities for personal, professional and financial growth is an important part of Culver’s mission. So we also offer another way to become an owner-operator through our Mentorship Program, which allows promising candidates to ease into the franchise partner role with the support of an existing franchisee who’s looking to expand.

Culver’s offers its franchisees one of the most extensive franchisee development programs available in the restaurant industry. Culver's Franchisee Development Program includes both classroom and in-restaurant training. Your active engagement in every aspect of training will serve as valuable preparation for how thoroughly engaged you’ll need to be as an owner-operator.

Our Design Services team provides site layouts and prototype building plans for new construction, or concept plans and building elevations if you are converting an existing building. They will assist you as you work with your architect to modify these plans to suit local requirements while maintaining the quality and image of the Culver’s brand. They will assist you with the bidding process and are available during construction to answer questions.

Delivering an exceptional experience for every guest who chooses your Culver’s restaurant is a big responsibility. And supporting you in those efforts will always be our top priority.