Page 86 - Entrepreneur - USA (January - February 2020)
P. 86
THE FRANCHISE
Culver’s
9
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STARTED FRANCHISING 1988 TOTAL UNITS 715 COST TO OPEN $1.97M–$4.7M
FROM THE OUTSIDE, you might landed among the top four in The company cul-
think that Culver’s primary eight categories. ture begins at Culver’s
products are frozen custard Reviews like that don’t ButterBurger University
and burgers. But internally, arrive by chance. They’re the in Wisconsin, where train-
the company lays out a more result of honest reflection ing goes far beyond POS
ambitious mission: It’s in the and a relentless drive toward systems and brand mes-
business of making happy cus- improvement. “I see so many saging. During an intensive
tomers. And business is good. areas of our business that 16-week program, all new
In a recent consumer- we can get even better at,” franchisees will scrub floors
experience poll conducted by says Joe Koss, the company’s and pick up garbage in the
Market Force Information, president and CEO. “We parking lot. The point is that
Culver’s desserts ranked have an engaged group of nobody is above dirty work— PHOTOGR APH COURTESY OF CULVER’S
higher than better-known franchisees who never settle not even the bosses. In the
rivals like Cold Stone for the status quo, and we business of making happy cus-
Creamery, Baskin-Robbins, [in the corporate office] have tomers, there’s no such thing
and Dairy Queen. In fact, the same mentality at our as a job too small.
among burger chains, Culver’s support center.” That message travels
