Chelsea Culver, Co-Founders’ Daughter, To Break Ground on New Middleton Culver's Restaurant

September 16, 2026 // Franchising.com // MIDDLETON, Wis. – Culver's will break ground Sept. 30 on a new restaurant on Parmenter Street that will replace the current Middleton location, which has served guests since 1992. The modernized restaurant is expected to open in spring 2027 and will provide an enhanced experience for guests while remaining rooted in the community it has proudly served for more than three decades.

The groundbreaking will celebrate the future of Culver's through the unique lens of Chelsea becoming an owner-operator in the community where she built her career with Culver's and in the same state where her family founded the brand.

For Chelsea, the groundbreaking represents a full-circle moment. She began her Culver's journey as a team member in Sauk City during high school and later worked at the Middleton restaurant through college. After completing Culver's franchise development program in 2022 and spending four years supporting owner-operators from the Culver's Support Center, she will return to Middleton as owner-operator.

"Working at the Middleton restaurant through college helped shape who I am, so breaking ground on its next chapter is incredibly meaningful," said Chelsea Culver. "I grew up watching my parents create a place where they knew their guests by name and the restaurant truly belonged to the community. I'm honored to continue that tradition and lead the nearly 70 team members who make the Middleton restaurant such a special part of the neighborhood I call home.

As the daughter of Culver's co-founders Lea Culver and Craig Culver, Chelsea represents the next generation of leadership within the Culver family. Company leaders say her path to ownership has been defined by years of restaurant experience, training and hands-on support of owner-operators across the system.

"Great owner-operators are the foundation of our system, and Chelsea's journey reflects exactly why that model has been so successful," said Julie Fussner, chief executive officer of Culver's. "She has prepared for ownership through restaurant experience, franchise development training and support center leadership. Most importantly, she understands what it means to serve guests, team members and communities with heart.

SOURCE Culver’s

###