When you think of fast-food restaurants, what colors come to mind? Probably red and yellow. Thank you, McDonald’s and your “Golden Arches.” But they’re hardly alone; Burger King, Chipotle, Wendy’s, KFC, Pizza Hut, Chick-fil-A, and others all incorporate one or both colors into their corporate logos. There’s a psychology behind this: red grabs your attention and stimulates the appetite, and yellow is associated with happiness and comfort. If you’re in the food business, obviously your goal is to turn hungry customers into happy ones.
One color you rarely see is blue. Because very few blue foods exist in nature, our brains don’t associate the color with eating. Blue is actually an appetite suppressant. You’d be crazy to adopt that color for your fast-food branding, right?
Apparently, Craig Culver didn’t get the memo.
Which makes you question the science, because his namesake fast-food chain, home of the ButterBurger® and fresh frozen custard, isn’t just a beloved Wisconsin institution; it’s got legions of devoted fans across the Midwest and beyond.
Despite that blue-and-white color scheme.
From Wisconsin with love
When AutumnAshbough tagged me in a post asking, “Why have I never heard of Culver’s?,” my response was simple: “Because you live on the West Coast.” Up until 2018, when I moved to South Dakota after 20+ years in the Pacific Northwest, I’d never heard of them either. One look at a map of their locations explains why.
I’m betting people in the Northeast aren’t familiar with them either.
In this conversation with Autumn, I added, “You’re missing out. It’s WAY better than any other fast-food place.”
And yes, that includes cult favorite In-N-Out Burger (color scheme: red and yellow), vastly overrated in my opinion.
I hadn’t intended on including businesses with locations outside Wisconsin for this series, but even though people in half the country are able to order a ButterBurger from their local drive-through, the chain’s roots are firmly anchored to America’s Dairyland. It’s right there in their tagline: From Wisconsin with Love.
“Where we come from has made us who we are,” Craig Culver says. “Welcome to delicious.”
Butter and burgers > biology
Craig and Lea Culver, along with Craig’s parents, George and Ruth, opened the first Culver’s in Sauk City, Wisconsin–their hometown–in 1984. You might say that Craig’s destiny was predetermined: George and Ruth owned and operated a number of restaurants in Sauk County, including an A&W from 1961–1968. After selling the A&W, they opened the Farm Kitchen Resort at Devil’s Lake State Park; Craig helped out during college breaks and over the summer. It’s where he met his future wife, Lea.
Craig graduated from the University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh in 1973 with a degree in biology, but the restaurant biz appealed to him more than science. He managed a McDonald’s franchise for a few years and took a stab at running his own restaurant before eventually returning to help his parents run their stable of eateries.
In 1984, the A&W they had sold a decade and a half earlier was back on the market, and the Culver family pounced at the opportunity. They renovated the restaurant, painting it blue and white to set it apart from others (color psychologists be damned!), and rechristened it with the family name. Craig became manager and ran the business with a singular mission: Every guest who chooses Culver’s leaves happy.
Craig has his parents to thank for this simple but effective business strategy. George Culver staunchly believed in “doing it right” and refused to skimp on quality, relying on fresh ingredients and handcrafting each meal with care while Ruth—affectionately nicknamed the “Queen of Hospitality”—insisted on taking care of every guest. This was Midwest hospitality at its finest! So, while other fast-food restaurants were increasingly relying on automated processes, Craig insisted every meal be prepared by an actual person. To ensure buy-in, he chose his employees carefully, treating them like family.
Craig had another ace up his sleeve. Growing up, Ruth always buttered the top half of the bun when making hamburgers, grilling it to toasty perfection. This was the inspiration for the flagship ButterBurger. Relying on an ice cream scoop, fresh ground beef was scooped into perfectly sized portions and pressed on the grill, creating a signature sear before being nestled into that buttered bun. Four decades later, ButterBurgers are still made this way (though the ice cream scoop has since been retired). It’s safe to say the company is still anti-automation.
Sauk City is less than two hours west of Milwaukee, the unofficial “Frozen Custard Capital of the World,” so choosing a dessert item for the menu was a no-brainer. Because it contains egg yolks, custard has a richer, creamier, and smoother texture than ice cream. If this were the ’90s, I’d call it “bomb.” We’ll just go with decadent instead.
Culver’s steadily gained a loyal following, and by 1990, Craig decided it was time to expand. The restaurant’s first franchise opened in Baraboo that year with a unique caveat: all franchise owner-operators must spend time working in their restaurants. Today, there are over 1,000 locations in 26 states. Sorry, West Coasters; maybe someday!
Quality does make a difference (with one exception)
It didn’t take me and Tara long to become Culver’s converts. Their food is miles apart from the competition: the beef is fresh, never frozen, and each ButterBurger is made to order, pressed and seared to lock in the juices, ensuring the patty remains moist and cooks evenly. They’re juicy and delicious every time. My go-to is the Mushroom and Swiss, and you can customize to your heart’s content, so I add grilled onions.
Burger King isn’t the only joint where you can “have it your way.”
ButterBurgers might have built the business, but there are plenty of other options too. The usual chicken, seafood, and salads, plus some pretty unique items. Like Beef Pot Roast, Grilled Reuben, and Pork Loin (a total Midwest thing). Side dishes include crinkle cut fries, onion rings, pretzel bites, chili, mashed potatoes and gravy, coleslaw, and steamed broccoli. You can even order a side of pickles, which is a really big dill to this guy.
And, of course, there are cheese curds…
Which means it’s time to address the elephant in the room.
For all that Culver’s does well, the cheese curds are a fail. They’re not bad per se, just unexceptional. We’ve had out-of-town Culver’s newbies rave over ’em. Maybe I’d do the same if I lived in Texas or Florida (perish the thought!), but here in Wisconsin, where there are likely half a dozen places within a 5-mile radius of any Culver’s frying up superior curds, they don’t quite make the cut. I guess I’m a curd snob now.
But that’s okay: Culver’s redeems itself with their fresh frozen custard. It’s so popular, they are the nation’s largest frozen custard chain per Entrepreneur Magazine. With a rotating Flavor of the Day, there’s always something new. November’s flavors include Pumpkin Pecan, Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Crunch, Georgia Peach, Raspberry Cheesecake, and Turtle.
(Don’t worry; no actual turtles are harmed in the making of this decadent treat.)
Mark’s menu maneuvers
On the fence about what to order (and what to avoid)? I’ve got a few pro tips for ya.
- If you’re thirsty, order the Signature Root Beer. The recipe was developed by Craig himself, who loved nothing more than a cold glass of root beer (his family did own that A&W, after all). He tinkered with the recipe until it was perfectly to his liking: crisp and refreshing, with a hint of vanilla, and creamy foam on top. And it’s never served with ice, because Craig believed that just watered down the flavor. Even the diet version is exceptional.
- Like all fast-food chains, Culver’s has seasonal items available for a limited time. I love the Northwoods Walleye, available as a sandwich or in a dinner basket. This tender, flaky, mildly flavored white fish is hand-battered and deep-fried, and a step up from the usual cod.
- The Curderburger began as an April Fool’s joke in 2021 but has now become a seasonal favorite available for a few weeks every October (which Culver’s has christened Curdtoberfest). It’s basically a ButterBurger topped with a giant cheese curd. As previously stated, I’m not a big fan of their curds; lured by the gimmick, I ordered the sandwich once, and thought it was just okay. The ratio of breaded cheese to beef is too high IMHO. This may or may not appeal to you, but if you’re adventurous, by all means give it a try. Especially if you live in Florida or Texas.
The phony version (announced April 1, 2021) is on the left, the real deal is on the right.
Supporting the community
In addition to great food and excellent service, Culver’s prioritizes giving back to the community through local fundraisers, sponsorships, donations, and the Thank You Farmers Project®. Established in 2013, this initiative supports agricultural education programs that encourage smart farming.
Craig stepped down as owner in 2015 but maintains an active role in the company. He is Chairman on the Board of Directors and remains the face of the organization, appearing in the chain’s folksy homespun ads.
I’ve never been a huge fast-food person—I will always opt for local restaurants over chains, sit-down meals over to-go bags—but I will make an exception for Culver’s.
And if I lived in a state without one, that would make me blue.
Have you tried Culver’s? If so, what’s your favorite menu item? If not, which fast-food place tops your list?
Mark My Words 
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