Culver's first opened in what Wisconsin village in 1984?

Culver’s first opened in Sauk City, Wisconsin, in 1984. The inaugural restaurant began serving customers on July 18, 1984, under the name Culver’s Frozen Custard and ButterBurgers.

The business was a family project: Craig and Lea Culver opened it with Craig’s parents, George and Ruth. The location drew on the family’s Wisconsin restaurant experience and paired two signature ideas—pressed-to-order burgers and rich frozen custard.

The biggest geographic mix-up is Prairie du Sac. Culver’s headquarters are there today, next to Sauk City, but the first restaurant itself was in Sauk City. Baraboo is also connected to the company’s early history because it later received one of the first successful franchised locations.

The original site occupied a former A&W property associated with the Culver family. That local beginning eventually grew into a large Midwestern-centered chain, while ButterBurgers and frozen custard remained the brand’s defining combination.