Medford residents will get to have their fill of custard and Butterburgers with the arrival of a new Culver’s restaurant, scheduled to open in February 2020.
Steve and Rachel Lawrence of Withee purchased the former Happy Joe’s building with plans for a complete renovation over the next few months. The couple wanted to bring more options for Medford residents to dine out and decided now was the right time to open up their own place.
“It’s always been our favorite restaurant to eat at,” said Steve. “When you go to Culver’s, the hospitality and the quality of the food stand out to us.”
Steve will start the company’s 16-week training program in Saux City for new owners, which includes both classroom instruction and plenty of hands-on experience. Later, he will also help open two Culver’s restaurants somewhere in the U.S. for additional training.
Since the couple doesn’t have a background in restaurant management, the extensive training program was a huge plus. A former Marine, Steve is making the leap to restaurant ownership from his career as a police officer in Eau Claire. Meanwhile, Rachel will continue her passion as a pediatric ICU nurse at Marshfield Clinic and help out with the operation where needed.
The couple has also received support and advice from Rachel’s parents, who are the owners of A&W restaurants in Withee and Spencer. “They’re definitely our mentors throughout this whole process and helping us out to get this up and running,” Steve said.
The new Culver’s will employ 50 employees, including 8 managers. After his training is concluded, Steve will do an additional 7-week training with the managers at a nearby Culver’s location.
“It’s definitely going to be a busy year,” said Steve.
Author: News Desk
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