Culver’s Founder Speaks for 18th Annual CEO Forum
SUCCESS LEAVES TRACKS The 500-plus Culver’s restaurant chain got its humble start in a renovated Wisconsin A&W Root Beer stand in the mid-’80s. CEO and co-founder Craig Culver traveled to USF in October to share his story and business acumen for the 18th annual CEO Forum, “Success Leaves Tracks: Following the Footprints for Business Growth and Success.” He had some heartfelt advice for the hundreds of regional business leaders gathered in the North Campus Auditorium for his keynote speech and a panel by local business experts. “People mirror leadership,” he told the audience. “As a business owner, leadership starts with you. I initially didn’t want to be involved in the long, hard hours of restaurant work, but my parents were great examples for customer service and hospitality. Now, whether I’m in my office or a restaurant, I know I must bring that energy and enthusiasm to the job. I know when I do, I will get the mirror image of myself from my employees.” Businesspeople must also love what they do, he said. “When we sold the original A&W a few years back, we trained the new owners for two months. But they didn’t love what they did. You can’t train passion—you have to bring that. After two years, they asked us to take the business back. That’s how Culver’s was started —from someone not loving what they were doing.” 20
saint francis magazine | winter 2012