Who Owns Culver's?

The Culver family had run restaurants for decades before the brand existed. George and Ruth Culver bought an A&W root beer stand in Sauk City, Wisconsin in 1961 and later operated a supper club. In 1984 they purchased that same original A&W site and, with son Craig, converted it into a restaurant combining two ideas: the ButterBurger, a burger with a lightly buttered toasted bun, and fresh frozen custard made daily in the restaurant.

The first Culver's opened July 18, 1984 in Sauk City. Franchising began in 1987, but the early growth was rocky: the first franchise failed within a year, and the family reworked the model before expansion resumed. The system that emerged required franchisees to own and operate their restaurants personally rather than invest passively, a discipline that became central to the brand's culture.

Growth stayed regional through the 1990s and 2000s, radiating from Wisconsin through the Midwest before pushing south and west. The chain passed 500 restaurants in the early 2010s. Roark Capital's 2017 minority investment coincided with faster expansion into Florida, Texas, and other growth markets.

Craig Culver, who had run the company for decades, stepped back as CEO in 2015 and retired from daily leadership while remaining on the board. Successors included Phil Keiser, then Joseph Koss, who led the chain past the 1,000-restaurant milestone in the early 2020s. Rick Silva took over as CEO in 2025. George Culver died in 2020; Ruth Culver, the matriarch whose hospitality defined the service culture, died in 2023.