The Strict Rule All Culver's Franchise Owners Must Follow

Ever since the first Culver's opened in 1984, this fast casual restaurant has set itself apart from its competitors with its signature ButterBurgers and fresh frozen custard. Beyond that, Culver's is famously friendly. Whether you're at the original location in Sauk City, Wisconsin, or one of its 1,000 other locations across 26 states, the company wants you to have the same dining experience and sense of hospitality. In order to help ensure that happens, Culver's has put some strict rules in place for all its franchisees that stand out in the industry for just how tough they can be.

One of the most important rules is that Culver's franchisees have to be owner-operators. This means they have to be "present and engaged" in the day-to-day operations of the restaurant, in the words of Julie Fussner, Culver's CEO (via ExecutiveHouse). The owner-operators are expected to work at their restaurants side by side with their employees. Relatedly, every potential franchisee has to make it through a weeklong training session called "Discovery Week." During this 60-hour workweek that typically takes place in Sauk City, the potential franchisees work every shift and station with seasoned team members to learn the ins-and-outs of how the restaurant operates. And that's just the beginning.

While some potential franchisees drop out after "Discovery Week" and others don't make the cut, for those who do and are accepted, there's a 16-week franchise development program that comes next. After a new franchise opens, the owner-operator is still expected to work at the restaurant on a regular basis. Consistency is the name of the game with any franchise operation and Culver's believes that the owner-operator model helps ensure this since the franchisee is physically there leading the team. Culver's also limits the number of restaurants an owner-operator can have to four, which helps guarantee they're on-site at the locations. 

Craig Culver and his wife Lea, and Craig's parents, George and Ruth Culver, who launched Culver's back in the 1980s, all worked at the restaurant on a regular basis, so that might be one reason the company insists on the owner-operator model. A misfire with the very first franchise in 1987, also helped shape the company's outlook. The first one, in Richland Center, Wisconsin, failed after just a year, leading the Culver family to restructure its franchising rules. Three years later, they got back into franchising and have only grown from there. Culver's strict rules seem to be paying off as the company continues to grow.