Culver’s Owners Review Performance Before Expanding
Authored by: Kim Wegner — Partner, CPA, CVA, CGMA | Date Published: June 26, 2026
After a championship game, the whole team piles in, still wearing their jerseys. A summer night cruise around town wraps up with Culver’s custard, and the drive-thru line spills into the parking lot. Families come in on a Tuesday evening (“Share Night” at our local establishment) because it’s easier than cooking at home, and they know exactly what their kids will order.
These aren’t random traffic spikes. They’re what happens when a Culver’s becomes the gathering spot its community keeps coming back to, and the owner-operators running those locations know exactly what that kind of loyalty is worth.
What doesn’t always show up ready is the financial documentation to tell that story to a lender or corporate team.
That’s where real opportunity can slip by. The owners who are ready to move to a new location are the ones who spent months earlier quietly getting their numbers in order before any opening appeared. At MBE CPAs, we see that almost every Culver’s client we work with seeks the same result: growth. This blog is for franchise leaders and multi-unit groups who want to be prepared when the right moment comes.
What Numbers Matter Before Adding a Location?
Many Culver’s owners have an idea of how their locations are performing, but lenders and corporate teams need thorough, well-organized financial records to make decisions. The numbers have to be there, organized, and easy to follow. Here’s what matters most:
- Prior-year revenue by location: Not just total sales, but location by location. Are all units performing consistently, or is one carrying the others?
- Labor and food cost percentages: Culver’s is a hands-on owner-operator brand, and these numbers reflect how well day-to-day operations are running. If labor is running high at one location before adding another, that problem will only grow.
- Current debt position: A new location means a new lease, construction costs, equipment, and working capital. Understanding existing obligations before adding another layer helps owners avoid real surprises down the road.
- Cash reserves: According to Culver’s Franchise Disclosure Document, the total investment necessary to begin operation of a new restaurant ranges from $3,406,350 to $10,294,100. Lenders want documented reserves and clean statements before they commit.
What Does Brink and Crunchtime Tell a CPA?
Brink POS and Crunchtime are familiar tools for most Culver’s operators. These systems track sales, labor, and food costs in real time, providing valuable insights for daily decision-making. However, the information they generate can also play a key role when applying for financing or presenting results to corporate development teams.
While Brink and Crunchtime is designed for operational management, their data becomes even more significant during expansion. It’s not just about tracking day-to-day figures; it’s about how well your records demonstrate consistent performance over time. Lenders and corporate reviewers are looking for organized, comprehensive documentation that clearly reflects your track record across all locations.
Are Your Locations Ready to Grow?
Being busy doesn’t always mean you’re set for what’s next. Before you add another location, here are some important questions to go through with your CPA:
- What if things move slower than expected? If the new spot takes 18 to 24 months to reach targets instead of 12, can your current units handle the extra costs in the meantime?
- How do your finances look to a lender? SBA loans are a common way for Culver’s owners to fund expansion, but they require well-organized, clear financial records.
- Are your locations actually profitable, or just busy? Even if a restaurant is packed after games and fundraiser nights, strong margins and clear documentation are still needed to support an expansion request.
- Is your ownership structure easy to follow? Ownership percentages, how entities are connected, and manager details should all be clear.
MBE CPAs Is Your Growth Partner
The communities around these locations show up consistently, and so do we. We’re not a firm that appears at tax time and goes quiet the rest of the year. We work alongside Culver’s owner-operators throughout the year, digging into the Brink and Crunchtime data before it ever reaches a lender, helping owners understand what their numbers say across all their entities, and making sure the documentation is ready.
Your locations are the kind of community gathering spot people count on, and that track record deserves a financial partner who takes it just as seriously as you do. One who knows Culver’s understands multi-unit ownership and knows exactly what it takes to grow.
When the territory opens, your answer should be ready. Reach out to the MBE CPAs team and let’s build that foundation together.