ASHLAND — Custard and cheese curds are all the crowd could think about at Culver’s grand opening.
Community members, city officials, Scoopie the mascot and ButterBurger fans showed support for the ribbon-cutting ceremony Tuesday morning.
The restaurant is owned and operated by Ryan Lehar and his family, which also owns the Culver’s in Canton. The family to invest in Ashland without tax incentives and has created nearly 100 jobs.
It’s located at 725 U.S. 250 at the corner of U.S. 250 East and County Road 1575, near Montgomery Road. It’s open daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Lehar thanked his leadership team, business partner and the Ashland community for its support during its opening week.
“We had a soft opening yesterday, and it went phenomenally,” Lehar said.
“This is the largest turnout I’ve ever had for one of these. I appreciate everybody being out here. We can’t wait to serve this community.”
Culver’s is a popular American fast-casual restaurant chain. It is known for its signature ButterBurgers (burgers served on a lightly buttered and toasted bun), rich and creamy Fresh Frozen Custard, and fried Wisconsin cheese curds. The company was founded in 1984 and based in Sauk City, Wisc.
Ashland Mayor Matt Miller said the restaurant has already demonstrated its commitment to Ashland. Before they even opened, Culver’s donated $5,000 to Ashland’s America 250th celebrations.
“On behalf of all the people who call Ashland home, thank you for adding to our menu and taking care of our community upon your arrival,” Miller said.
Marketing manager Kate Grant said community involvement is a major part of her job and Culver’s mission.
“We have dug into the Ashland community a little bit, and they’re all about supporting each other, and making the community the best it can be,” Grant said. “It honestly lines right up with what Culver’s stands for, giving back to community schools, local businesses and families that are in need.”
Grant said local organizations can participate in Culver’s Share Nights. Volunteers help for an evening with the restaurant and a percentage of sales is donated to the designated group.
The building phase took about 150 days. Lehar met with the construction team, the project manager, operations leader and the marketing manager to assist through the process.
“We like to say that when we come to a community, we like to put it in better standing than when we first come in,” Grant said. “Ashland is a great community to start with, so we’ve got some high standards.”
