How Culver's Co-Founder Got The Idea For Its Iconic ButterBurger Buns

Although it's sometimes mistaken that Culver's cooks its food in butter instead of oil, Culver's ButterBurgers are known across Wisconsin and the US for the savory, full flavor that comes from lightly buttering the top bun. Craig Culver, co-founder and former CEO of the restaurant, got this technique from a source close to home: his mother, Ruth Culver. She made homemade burgers with a buttered top bun rather than following other Wisconsinite methods of putting butter directly on the beef patty or adding butter to the burger meat. The result was a toasted bun with the ideal texture for topping a hamburger. This left a tasty impression on Craig Culver from a young age and was a jumping-off point for using this technique in the future.

The first Culver's restaurant was opened by Craig Culver, his wife Lea, and his parents Ruth and George in 1984. He and his parents already had years of restaurant experience from running an A&W and several supper clubs including The Farm Kitchen, the latter of which Craig Culver credits for being one of the first blueprints for Culver's. Supper clubs are prevalent in the Midwest and are characterized by their Midwestern comfort food menus, family-owned status, rural locations, and down-home hospitality. This hospitality was another huge way that Ruth Culver shaped the restaurant. ButterBurgers and Frozen Custard had customers stopping in for a try, but the staff's positivity is what made them keep coming back.

When Craig Culver moved ahead with opening Culver's, his mother's geniality was a major factor in him wanting to provide a positive experience for guests. More than just having a hand in the burger cooking technique, Ruth Culver impacted the brand ethos itself with her kindness and willingness to speak to every guest who came by, stemming from her days at the family's supper clubs. She also cleaned and prepared tables alongside the staff, showing that she didn't feel herself above doing work that would brighten a customer's day or influence their perception of the restaurant.

His father George Culver was also an inspiration to the burger chain because of his dedication to serving quality food. He understood that while hospitality is essential, food quality is the other half of the coin that makes or breaks customer relationships. This is why Culver's says it only serves its menu items cooked to order for ultimate freshness and taste, along with choosing the best steak cuts for its burgers. Craig Culver sought to uphold his parents' wisdom when establishing Culver's, and although the flagship Sauk City restaurant had some tough early years with few customers, his efforts eventually paid off with a national chain.