Culver's Takes Over as Favorite Burger Chain Nationwide

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Nationwide Independent Survey From Restaurants & Institutions Magazine Awards Culver's Platinum Award in Burger Category

Prairie du Sac, Wis. (Aug. 1, 2007) – Culver's®, home of the ButterBurger®, has been rated the best burger chain in the country according to the 2007 annual survey of diners conducted by Restaurants & Institutions® magazine.

Culver's received the much sought after platinum ranking after consumers voted on their dining experience in the magazine's Consumers' Choice in Chains survey. Consumers rated nearly 120 restaurant chains on eight customer satisfaction attributes: food quality, menu variety, value, service, atmosphere, cleanliness, reputation and convenience. Culver's combined overall score in the eight categories earned the Midwest-based restaurant chain the Consumers' Choice In Chains® Platinum Award. Culver's high scores beat out all other burger chains in the nation.

"We're thrilled to receive this award because it comes right from the voices of the American people, which tell us our guests like what we're doing," said Phil Keiser, Culver's president and COO. "We know that our guests have many choices when it comes to enjoying a great burger, so their vote for Culver's means a great deal to the dedicated franchise partners and team members at Culver's who work hard to delight our guests every day."

This year's recognition marks the fourth time guests have ranked Culver's among the top burger chains, and the first time Culver's won the coveted Platinum Award. "This award is the result of the extra effort every one of our franchise partners puts into ensuring that every guest who chooses Culver's leaves happy," explains Craig Culver, Culver's co-founder. "The fact that guests tried our competitors and ranked us first is the highest honor that we can achieve as a family of restaurants."

Restaurants & Institutions surveyed more than 3,000 adults nationwide regarding the 120 largest restaurant chains in the United States. In all, diners answered questions about their experiences in the past 12 months in 13 menu categories, including family dining, pizza, steakhouse and treats. Since its inception in 1981, the Restaurants & Institutions Consumers' Choice in Chains study is recognized as a key measure of success by restaurant chains across the country. Award winners were honored in a ceremony on Aug. 13, 2007, at the Ritz-Carlton® Half Moon Bay Resort in Half Moon Bay, Calif.

Culver's restaurants are independently owned and operated in more than 360 locations in 16 states. With new restaurants opening by 2008 in Arizona, and plans to expand into Arkansas and Tennessee, guests will be able to enjoy their Culver's favorites in 19 states across the nation. The owner/operator concept has been a cornerstone of growth for Culver's since the first location opened in Sauk City, Wisconsin, on July 18, 1984. Culver's invests deeply in partnerships and programs, including its VIP scholarship program, Culver's Cares™ charitable program and countless other franchise-driven local efforts. Culver's is the recipient of numerous national awards, including the IFMA Silver Plate Award and a coveted "Best In Category – Food" rating placing Culver's among the Top 50 of more than 300 franchise opportunities nationwide as reviewed by Franchise Business Review.

Restaurants & Institutions (www.rimag.com), named the 2005 Magazine of the Year by the American Society of Business Publication Editors, is one of the nation's most respected and widely read foodservice magazines. It is a publication of Reed Business Information (www.reedbusiness.com), a leading provider of critical information and marketing solutions to business professionals, and a part of Reed Elsevier Group PLC group a world-leading publisher and information provider.

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