Thursday, June 28, 2018

[Sweet!] Culver's is Coming to Cumming!

Culver's, the Prairie du Sac, Wisconsin-based quick-serve burger restaurant which entered the Georgia market in 2016, plans to open one of its restaurants in Cumming, according to planning documents obtained by ToNeTo Atlanta.  The 4,330 square foot restaurant would be built on an approximately 1.6 acre parcel at 5512 Bethelview Road, near its intersection with Castleberry Road.  Culver's will join Regions Bank as outparcels of the newly opened 123,000+ square foot Kroger Marketplace store.  

The Cumming location is in addition to the previously announced upcoming locations in Sugar Hill and Commerce.  In Sugar Hill, Culver's will open at 210 Peachtree Industrial Boulevard at its intersection with West Price Road, while their new Commerce location will be built just off US 441 at 110 Grove Creek Point.    

The burger chain, with an almost cult-like following, entered the Georgia market in 2016 with a location in Dawsonville, just north of the North Georgia Premium Outlets.  In the months since, the chain has added new Georgia locations in Newnan, Buford, Grovetown (just outside Augusta), Lawrenceville, Canton/Hickory Flat, McDonough, Braselton and Pooler.  

A new Culver's in Kennesaw is expected to open this coming Monday, July 2, followed by Gainesville in mid-July and Savannah in September.  

For the many readers who have hoped for a Culver's location closer intown, keep hoping.  With an increased amount of red tape and a much higher land cost, new-to-market quick-serve restaurants - Culver's, Freddy's, Del Taco, Bojangles' - find it difficult to penetrate intown markets.    

Atlanta-based private equity firm Roark Capital Group purchased a "minority interest" in Culver's this past October in a deal, the terms of which were not made public.    For the uninitiated, Culver's is most well known for their frozen custard and signature "ButterBurgers." Culver's menu also includes a variety of sides such as Wisconsin cheese curds, onion rings and coleslaw, as well as assorted salads and soups.  The popular burger eatery, which was founded in 1984, today operates 660 locations in twenty-four states.    

Are you excited for the addition of more Culver's to metro Atlanta?  If given the choice of Culver's, Freddy's or Steak & Shake, which would you choose?  Where would you like to see Culver's open next?   

Please share your thoughts below.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I think Culver's could upend the Steak & Shake at Toco. Bring it on!

CloseOTP said...

Culver's, Freddy's, etc. all seem to be on the same model trajectory as Zaxby's. Start in the outer outer suburbs. Build brand recognition and get to the critical mass necessary to justify the risk of higher land costs. Your other examples of Del Taco and Bojangles prove this out. They're starting to move closer to the perimeter. Bojangles is at Delk near 75 and Lawrenceville Hwy near 285. Del Taco is on Cobb Pkwy near 285 and on E/W Connector. All of these are much closer than Culver's and Freddy's. Give it time - if Culver's and Freddy's prove popular, I can see locations getting to Marietta, Roswell, and Tucker. And slowly, just like Zaxby's, penetrating 285.

Anonymous said...

Bojangles has already penetrated the perimeter:
http://www.tonetoatl.com/2018/05/Chamblee-Bojangles-To-Open-May-7.html#more

Hopefully one of these less expensive burger chains will step up to the plate and knock out some of the overpriced burger places.

CloseOTP said...

No reason to "knock out" an "overpriced" burger place. How about one steps in and co-exists?

Anonymous said...

Culver's menu is not impressive.

Anonymous said...


I don't know what "overpriced" burger places you are talking about, but the better burger places generally have a higher end, all natural burgers. Well worth it for a better tasting no hormone burger. This would be Grindhouse, Farm burger, Yeah burger, Burgerfi. Culver's is more like Freddie's, Cookout, Steak & Shake, Sonic and Bobbies and these places charge the same amount, hardly woth it IMO. Definitely too many burger places flloding the market. These newcomer's to the fast food market are certainly putting the squeeze on McDonalds, Burger Kings and Wendys.

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