More Culver's are coming to Georgia!
On the heels of their successful opening in Dawsonville last month, Prairie du Sac, Wisconsin-based Culver's has inked franchise deals for a number of additional locations in Georgia.
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 with nearly 600 locations in twenty three states has signed agreements for new locations in Lawrenceville and Canton/Hickory Flat. These two restaurants are in addition to the previously announced three locations slated for Buford, Newnan and Grovetown, near Augusta.
Culver's Dawsonville unit, located at 252 S 400 Center Lane, marked the chain's entry into Georgia. The restaurant is located just north of the North Georgia Premium Outlets.
The Lawrenceville location will be on Scenic Highway, just north of The Shoppes at Webb Gin. A freestanding Culver's will join existing and recently opened freestanding locations of IHOP and Discount Tire.
Another Culver's is planned for the community of Hickory Flat in Cherokee County. I was unable to obtain an exact address for the restaurant, but I'm told it will actually have a Canton address. The restaurant is expected to break ground "early summer," and be open before the end of the year.
In Buford, Culver's will open at 2924 Buford Drive, just south of Mall of Georgia, in an outparcel of Floor & Decor (former BrandsMart USA). A newly created outparcel will be constructed for the restaurant and will join Waffle House and Pep Boys nearby. The restaurant is expected to break ground soon and should open in early fall.
In Grovetown, just outside Augusta, Culver's will build a new restaurant in an outparcel of an existing Walmart Supercenter at 4020 Gateway Boulevard. Culver's will open beside an existing freestanding Arby's, and across the street from an existing Applebee's. The restaurant is expected to break ground late spring/early summer and should open before the end of the year.
In Newnan, Culver's will open at 311 Newnan Crossing Bypass. Situated in an outparcel of BJ's Wholesale Club, and across from Ashley Park, the new Culver's will open in the former Rock Back Pizza. Steve Datka, Director of Design Services at Culver Franchising System, Inc., tells me that the existing building will be modified to include a drive-thru. A separate source with knowledge of the progress told me this week the restaurant expects to open its Newnan location "in June."
A location in Johns Creek remains "a strong possibility."
The same source indicated that Culver's does not award "territories" like other franchise concepts, and to the best of their knowledge, all current and upcoming locations in Georgia will be operated by separate franchisees. If any or all of the operators are successful and wish to open additional units, that is an option, but nothing is guaranteed.
While it's no secret that overall soda consumption is down, both at home and in restaurants, the soda offered in Culver's shares its primary brand color with the burger joint, which could make it an even tougher sell in Coke country.
Are you excited to see Culver's opening in the greater metro Atlanta area? Readers have previously suggested Culver's franchisees should consider cities like Tucker, Alpharetta and Sandy Springs for new locations, where would you to them open next? If you've been to Culver's before, what is your favorite menu item?
Please share your thoughts below.
19 comments:
We were at the Dawsonville store just yesterday afternoon. It was insanely busy. The pull-ahead lane so they could serve the next guest at the drive-thru was, no joke, six cars deep, and the lobby just stacked with people waiting for their frozen custard.
I liked that they serve breaded pork tenderloins, but I forgot to order the cheese curds. They have their own branded root beer in the fountain which was pretty good.
Bojangles does just fine and it serves Pepsi. Ditto Taco Bell. Even in Coke country, people choose the restaurant first. And I bet Culver's prefers people to skip the soda and buy the more expensive Custard shakes anyways!!
"Successful" is an understatement. I drove to Dawsonville to go outlet shopping and thought I would drop by Culver's to try it out. It was INSANE ... line out of the door, cars wrapped around building TWICE. Meanwhile, Zaxby's next door was dead. Not a car in the parking lot. Reminded me of CookOut when it entered the Atlanta market. I'll try again one day.
I'm very curious about the custard, but it does not sound like their biz model allows for the expenses that would be incurred with some of the close-in, northern burbs. Could be wrong, but we'll see.
Even though its technically Lawrenceville, that adds Culver's and Freddie's both custards coming to the un Scenic Snellville shopping mecca and traffic corridor. That will be Cookout, Freddie's, Steak n Shake and Culver's in a 5 mile stretch. Oh and Burger 21 whenever they open up too. Fyi Cracker Barrel is also coming to where everybody is somebody Snellville.
Another burger joint? Yawn...
I fear the Buford store is not a good location, being on the other side of I-85 from the Mall of GA. I myself never venture over there. We enjoyed Freddy's down at Sugarloaf and PIB recently.
I agree the new Lawrenceville/Snellville location is moving into an ever increasingly competitive market. I wonder how much development they can handle before traffic and other issues push everything further east leaving Snellville like Norcross, Duluth and other past Gwinnett “hot spots”. While I haven’t been there in a while someone told me the Shops at Webb Gin were already losing merchants.
Culvers is a nice addition to the local market because it's pretty much the only place that offers custard. Very few places around here even have ice cream except for the chains. I'm so done with frozen yogurt. It's nice to spurge on custard/ice cream when the weather turns warm.
Ham ... the Shoppes at Webb Gin have lost many of stores that have also closed locations nationwide: Forth & Town, Banana Republic, GAP, Coldwater Creek, IO Metro, Ethan Allen, etc ... There are many places left but its not a one stop shop destination because many of those lost stores haven't been equally replaced. Fact is the biggest mistake was developing the Avenues split in half by busy Webb Gin House Rd.
Snellville needs more clothing and apparel stores for that inevitable weight gain with all these new burger, shake and custard chains. Cant even walk it off because you'd be risking your life with the mass of crazy drivers its brought to the area. So goes the saying be careful what you wish for. Convenience come with its perils.
I visited the Dawsonville location and it was an absolute MADHOUSE but the burgers and fries were good. I didn't understand the big deal about the cheese curds as they were okay. The custard was also good. They need much closer locations though like Sandy Springs, Dunwoody, Chamblee, etc.
It's funny I grew up in iowa and they were all over there. Never ate there and never heard a good thing about them until they entered the Georgia market 15 years later lol. I would like to find a good place to get a fried tenderloin though!
Ate at the Dawsonville location two weeks ago and it was terrible. Drive through backed up with cars parked on the curb waiting on their orders. Inside was standing room only, no tables available. Three outdoor tables were available. Waited 35 minutes for someone to bring me my food. Terrible...will not go back.
I always let the newness of a store or restaurant wear off before I patronize them for the first time. There are enough 'gotta have it NOW' folks out there that enjoy that circus like experience. No different than Black Friday shoppers that thrive on saving a dollar while losing their sanity.
But FROZEN CUSTARD is to die for!
Greenwave, we enjoyed visiting Culver's whenever we were up in Chicago to visit my parents. The cheese curds are absolutely terrific and we tried them at the Dawsonville location and they aren't cooking them properly. The cheese is supposed to be soft and warm and they were neither. With that being the case, they lacked what made them standout. Hopefully they'll figure it out.
I am SSSSOOOOO GLAD they are bringing a Culvers closer to me in Lawrenceville or Buford. Dawsonville was extremely to far for me to drive. Even in Wisconsin the lines were extremely long and always packed. I enjoy just about everything. They custards, shakes and ice cream are good. But they don't push you to purchase them. Hopefully they will send coupons in the mail, like I use to receive in Wisconsin. I've been craving it and it's finally here!!!!
I'm from Wiscnsin and Culvers food is delicious and affordable. I hope wherever they open in the Atla at area they will keep the same standards in pricing, cook to order and freshness. Why not open in unpopulated areas like Mableton on Veterans Memorial Highway because Symrna and Vinings is overpopulated and conjested enough. Even parts of Mableton Parkway/king drive hwy 139 seems empty and free flowing at times.
Wherever businesses op n in GA they have to considered the infrastructure, the highways ar so crappie here, the planners that are layered not this city y out have no idea what to do with the population incr ase, and how to build additions to the already been verpopulating exisotng highways.
GA would far well if they collaborate with the planners that mapped out the plans for the Marquette interchange in Milwaukee, I was born and raised in Chicago, and at least with their population over flow the traffic is never as bad as GA because they way the major highways and branch out and allow traffic to flow and keep it moving in all directions.
Our major problem in GA is not the population increase its lack of wholistic planning and how to map out and create an infrastructure that allows traffic to keep it moving. And, don't get caught in a left turing Kane during rush hour that only allows at most 5 cars to turn before the light changes this causes major backups all around GA. Wisconsin and Chicago changing lanes and lighto are set up where the ability to turn is increased during high traffic hours then during low traffic hours they switch back to normal or use yellow blinking lights.
Another problem with the infrastructure in GA that is creating catastrophic issues waiting to happen is subdivisions and major I entities like Mega church's. Most are built with the one way in and one way out, so what if something major happens people can die because they have no way out!!!
GA HIRE YOUR CITY PLANNERS and DEVELOPERS from MAJOR cities that know What They ARE DOING. We must QUIT CUTTING DOWN TREES and BUILDING more SUB DIVISIONS and CREATING more STOP LIGHTS AT THE cURRENT rate we are heading for disaster. WE NEED to create REAL NEIBGHBORHOODS and MORE Extensions To MAJOR HIGHWAYS to keep TRAFFIC FLOWING in PREPARATION for the ALREADY OVER POPULATED GROWth. This Includes EXTENDING MARTA to reach more SUBURBS and opening up and Extending or Combining major bus lines and o connect more major suburbs to the city, which may include opening up a real HI SPEED RAIL SYSTEM.
@ C Gib
Bless your heart, please MOVE back to Wisconsin and stop whining if you can't handle Atlanta infrastructure and its traffic. Its people like you that come to the "mecca" thinking everything must change for you. YOU are part of the problem because you moved here and littered the area. GO BACK TO WISCONSIN.
Buh Bye!
October 12, 2016 at 8:27 AM
Agree COMPLETELY. They migrate South for better weather and lower cost of living and demand a lengthy list of things to CHANGE because they have arrived! They did not bring big incomes or cush jobs to PAY for their DEMANDS.
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