Culver’s, which Fodor’s Travel recently ranked as “the most delicious fast food pit stop in America,” has opened in the former TGI Fridays on Lohr Rd. in Pittsfield Twp.
The 1,001st store for the family-founded chain from Sauk City, Wisconsin, it’s co-owned and operated by veteran restaurateur Mike Carlson of Ann Arbor, who also opened Culver’s Jackson Rd. location in 2012 as store number 455.
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The Chicago native joined the ButterBurger brigade eighteen years ago after fifteen at McDonald’s, but his first job was as a Bill Knapp’s server. All five of his adult children have worked for him at Culver’s, including two current managers.
“First and foremost, we are a people business, taking care of people, our guests, our team members,” he says. His new staff of about eighty-five start between $15 and $20 per hour, and are ages fifteen and up.
“I love it when it’s their first job. I can train them. They don’t have any built-in bad habits,” he says, emphasizing attitude and amiability. “I can teach them to do everything else, but I can’t teach them how to be happy and polite people.”
The new store features a double-lane drive-thru and electric car charging stations. It’s larger than most—they chose to renovate rather than tear down the 7,000-square-foot building, though that caused some construction delays.
Carlson says Culver’s differs from most fast-serve franchises in that franchisees generally acquire their own real estate, their training program requires sixteen weeks in Wisconsin, and owner-operators are limited to four stores.
Besides burgers, Culver’s is known for its creamy frozen custards, with myriad customizable mix-ins and hand-packed pints. Its broad menu ranges from chicken tenders, crinkle-cut fries, and cheddar cheese curds to hand-battered cod, veggie burgers, and salads.
“We don’t have a cabinet full of burgers waiting to put on buns,” Carlson says. “No. You order it, we make it.”
Culver’s, 3015 Lohr. (734) 821–0060. Daily 10 a.m.–10 p.m. culvers.com/restaurants/ann-arbor-mi-lohr-rd
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