Culver's ButterBurgers & Frozen Custard
Food & Beverage · Quick-Service Restaurants
- Active units
- 990
- Avg unit volume
- $3.8M
- Royalty
- 4.0%
Franchised, year-end 2024
of weekly Net Sales
About Culver's ButterBurgers & Frozen Custard
Founded in 1984, the brand operates as a quick-service concept providing drive-thru, carryout, and dine-in options. It serves families and local communities through a brick-and-mortar model that emphasizes customer service and made-to-order meals. The franchise system is built around hands-on owner-operators who manage daily restaurant activities and maintain local community engagement. Menu offerings extend beyond burgers to include regional items like North Atlantic Cod and Wisconsin cheese curds.
Key terms
- Franchise fee
$55k
- Additional Restaurant initial fee
If approved to develop an additional Restaurant during the initial term and same Operator, the initial franchise fee is $45,000
- Mentoring Program
If you qualify for the Mentoring Program, the initial franchise fee is $30,000
- Territory Reservation credit
$20,000 of the $50,000 Territory Reservation fee is applied to the initial franchise fee if a Franchise Agreement is signed within 12 months
- Application/early termination refund
Application Fee $5,000 is credited to the initial franchise fee if approved; 75% of the initial franchise fee is refunded if you terminate before the 5th week of the Franchisee Development Program
- Brand fund
2.5% of Net Sales
- Local advertising
1.0% of Net Sales
- Footprint
4,060 – 4,328 sq ft
- Development Agreement - Territory Fee
$50k
- Veteran discount
10000.0% off franchise fee — Reduce the initial franchise fee by $10,000 for qualified veterans opening their first Restaurant as the full‑time on‑site owner‑operator
Brand Percentile Rankings
Rankings compare brands in the same operating year. Fee and investment figures come from the FDD (2026 filing); filings on file: 2024, 2025, 2026.
Growth
- Total locations1034
Franchised units open at year-end
- New openings45
Gross new units opened during the calendar year
- 1-year unit growth rate4.4%
Net unit growth versus prior year
- 3-year unit CAGR5.0%
Compound annual growth rate of unit count over the trailing 3 years
- Unit growth ratio45.0×
Cumulative opens / closures through year-end
Unit economics
- Annual unit volume (Median)—
Per FDD Item 19 disclosure
- Annual unit volume (25th percentile)—
Per FDD Item 19 disclosure
- Annual unit volume (75th percentile)—
Per FDD Item 19 disclosure
- 1-year Median AUV growth rate8.7%
Year-over-year change in median AUV
- Store-level EBITDA Margin—
Median unit-level EBITDA / AUV
Investment profile
- Estimated initial investment$6.9M
Midpoint of estimated initial investment range
↓ Lower is better - Time to open—
Midpoint of average time from agreement to opening
- Royalty rate4.0%
Percent of net sales paid to the franchisor
↓ Lower is better - Sales-to-investment ratio—
Median AUV / estimated initial investment midpoint
- Cash-on-cash returns—
Median unit-level EBITDA / estimated initial investment midpoint. Steady-state estimate; year 1 returns will be lower as the unit ramps to median volumes.
Franchisee healthLocked
- Unit closure ratio
- Transfer vs. closure ratio
- Percent multi-unit franchisees
- Litigation rate
- EBITDA multiple on sales & transfers
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Sources
Financial and operating figures are sourced from the brand's Franchise Disclosure Documents. Brand percentile rankings are based on comparisons to other brands that include the same metrics in their Franchise Disclosure Documents.