Midwesterners, rejoice: Culver’s is set to open in Hillsdale this spring.
The fast-food restaurant will be located on West Carleton Road near Aldi. Caleb Brickley, the location’s owner and operator, said construction is going well, but winter weather will determine the store’s progress and opening date.
“We just broke ground at the end of September, so we’ll see how the winter goes. Hopefully we’ll open this spring,” Brickley said.
Aaron Archuleta, owner and operator of two Culver’s in Indiana, is mentoring Brickley through the process of opening Brickley’s first location. Archuleta said his business group has been operating in southern Michigan and northern Indiana for years.
“We started looking at Hillsdale in 2022 actually,” Archuleta said. “Hillsdale was kind of a natural move for us. And what we’ve seen, and certainly as Culver’s has gotten bigger in the Midwest, and just bigger in general, is that a community like Hillsdale falls right in line with where we’re seeing a lot of success.”
Known for their ButterBurgers, fresh frozen custard, and cheese curds, Culver’s is a Midwestern fast-food chain which began in Wisconsin in 1984. It has restaurants in 26 states with 1,095 locations, including 113 in Michigan, according to data from Commercial Real Estate HQ.
Brickley said the chain tries to support local agriculture programs, such as Future Farmers of America groups and schools.
Brickley said he’s looking forward to investing in Hillsdale’s community, from the elementary schools to Hillsdale College.
“The thing that Culver’s brings to the table is that we’re so involved with our communities, and we like to give back, whether it’s share nights or getting involved with the colleges,” Brickley said. “We’re thoroughly involved all the way down to the high school and elementary level. So we’re very community-oriented, and we just love giving back.”
Brickley said they will begin hiring crew members about 12 weeks before opening. He encouraged college students to apply for seasonal work.
“I’m so excited they’re putting a Culver’s in Hillsdale,” junior Carli Jungeberg said. “I’m always looking for an excuse not to go to Saga and to get off campus, so I would go to Culver’s as much as possible within my budget.”
Jungeberg said she often visited Culver’s after golf matches in high school, and she’s looking forward to having a location closer than Coldwater.
“It’s not too expensive,” Jungeberg said. “They’re efficient, which means you’re not waiting in line forever, and it’s always really yummy. It’s very consistently good food.”
Sophomore Sophia Cantrell said people go to Culver’s because it’s reassuring and delicious, but not an intense culinary experience.
“I think Culver’s is like the most Midwestern of restaurants,” Cantrell said. “If you think of Midwestern food as comfort food, really familiar — maybe not flavorful in terms of both literal flavor and like the flavor of the people that go there. But they’re really consistent and they’re always going to be there for you.”
