Prairie du Chien Culver’s to close for a month during remodel
There will be additions to the east and north sides of Culver’s in Prairie du Chien, adding 1,600 square feet to the current restaurant. The total reimaging project will involve a brand new exterior appearance, major interior overhaul, additional seating and parking. (Photo by Correne Martin)
Nearly every aspect of Culver's will see a facelift, including the drive-thru for the restaurant, where the overhang and pillars will be replaced by a simpler awning. Along with increased parking space, the flow of the drive-thru will also improve.
Customers can say goodbye to this outdated interior look, because as soon as the reimaging project is done the first week in May, Culver’s will appear like a completely new restaurant. (Photo by Correne Martin)
By Correne Martin
Culver’s Restaurant in Prairie du Chien is being completely remodeled. The exterior will have an all-new image, while the interior will be gutted from the menu board through the front of the dining room, and an additional 1,600 square feet will be added. Seating will increase from 98-120 capacity, depending on the season, to 130-200 with the expansion.
Construction began a couple weeks ago. Through most of the rebranding activity, Culver’s will remain open to the public. However, it will close for about a month right after Easter, in April, before reopening, hopefully, by the first week in May.
“We realize it’s an inconvenience for our guests right now, but we’re working around our hours and customers as much as we can. We’re keeping everything covered and clean,” said Jason Cathman, who owns the local franchise with his wife, Jen, and brother, Justin. “This is not only an investment for us, but also an investment to this area.”
As customers and passers-by have noticed, construction started with the addition east of the dining room. Next, additional framing will be done north of the facility, to include better bathrooms and a new grand entryway. Cathman said the drive-thru will be redone, with plans to improve the flow of traffic through there. Plus, an enhanced patio will be added on the north side and the parking lot will be re-blacktopped and enlarged from 56 to about 92 stalls. This will be made possible by paving the empty lot the Cathmans own behind the building. Access from Marquette Road into the restaurant’s parking lot will be widened about 8 feet to make it easier for customers to pull in and out.
“There will only be a few changes in the kitchen (including a bigger fryer, new exhaust hoods and larger cooler and freezer as well),” Cathman explained. “Otherwise, It’s all changing, everything—the carpet, tile work, tables, chairs, ceiling, facades, finishes, countertops, cabinets, artwork and décor, the outside stone, siding color, new roof and new roof line. There’s going to be a new tower out front and over the drive-thru. The overhang over the drive-thru will be redone; there won’t be any pillars or posts anymore, just a more modern canopy.”
Cathman explained that the new patio will have updated awnings, new bench seats, tables and umbrellas to match the contemporary brand.
In addition to the kitchen remaining largely unchanged, the menu board will stay the same, and the cash registers and the POS system were upgraded last year, so they will not be affected by the coming updates. The condiments, garbage, recycling and Pepsi machine will move to the south side of the restaurant and, of course, will complement the new look too. There will be some raised seating inside and some aesthetic stone work in the dining room, really improving the ambiance of the dining experience.
Brand-new duct work will be installed for better air flow throughout the building. Also, the air conditioning problem that has become apparent in recent summers will be rectified with this renovation, as two air-conditioning units will be added to the one existing now.
Cathman shared that the opportunity to refine his Culver’s appearance came about a year ago, as the family’s franchise contract was about 18 months from ending. It’s typical, at that time, to consider reimaging, he said.
“It’s basically to create consistency throughout the chain,” he noted, “to keep the look fresh.” He pointed out that the Dodgeville, La Crosse and Platteville Culver’s Restaurants have all undergone similar rebranding. However, Prairie du Chien’s will have some unique and personalized touches, specifically chosen by the Cathmans.
Since the Cathmans were at the point of renewing their contract, they decided a renovation and expansion were the natural choices. “This is a great opportunity for us to be better. But it’s gonna take a lot of burgers to pay this off,” he joked.
In all seriousness, Cathman expressed his appreciation for the support of the area communities. “We rely on our customers to enable us to give back to things like the reading programs at schools, FFA, 4-H, etc.,” he said. “They’re here for us and I know they’ll all come back when we reopen.”
Cathman said the current 58 employees—full- and part-time—will be paid for the month that Culver’s is closed. “One, they deserve it and, two, I need them to come back to work,” he smiled.
In the meantime, the family is building up its staff and training them to join the team after construction is done.
The Prairie du Chien Culver’s opened in 1994 under ownership of Craig Culver. The Cathman family purchased the franchise in 2004.
