Hey, Wrigleyville! You're Getting A Culver's

By Chuck Sudo in Food on Jun 17, 2014 2:10PM

Culver’s, the popular butterburger chain, is opening its first franchise inside the Chicago city limits and at a prime location, to boot.

The store is planned for 3500 N. Clark St., a short walk from Wrigley Field. One of the franchisees, Justin Obriecht, tells the Tribune Culver’s brand familiarity with college students and Wrigleyville’s population density are only a couple of advantages of opening a shop in the city. But Obriecht will have to hustle to ensure the doors stay open. Commercial rents in the area are among the highest in Chicago and there won’t be space for a drive-thru window, which accounts for 40 percent of Culver’s sales.

Instead, Obriecht says there will be a walk-up window for customers who don’t want to enter the store and his Culver’s will stay open late to accommodate drunks looking for a late meal. In fact, late operating hours appears to be a linchpin to the business model.

“Without that late night business, it would be hard to make the numbers work,” Obriecht said.

Ground is expected to be broken on the Wrigleyville Culver’s within a year.