Dive Brief:
- Culver’s announced it was promoting Julie Fussner, previously its chief marketing officer, to CEO on Monday, the chain wrote in an email to Restaurant Dive.
- Fussner succeeds Enrique Silva, who retired earlier this year after taking the post in 2020. Fussner was chosen following “a thorough and competitive search,” co-founder Craig Culver said in the emailed press release.
- The burger brand has grown significantly in recent years. Its unit count reached 997 total stores at the end of 2024, up from 837 at the start of 2022, according to its franchise disclosure document
Dive Insight:
The chain’s growth is supported by robust unit economies: Culver’s franchised restaurants have an average unit volume of roughly $3.8 million, according to its franchise disclosure document. This is comparable with McDonald’s, the leading chain in the QSR burger segment.
Fussner has served in various marketing roles at the burger brand since 2017, a period in which the chain has grown substantially.
“Her successful translation of differentiated insights into strategic marketing initiatives led to her appointment as Culver’s first chief marketing officer,” Culver’s said in a press release.
Fussner brought significant marketing experience to Culver’s, notably including a stint at Kraft Foods. Her “progressive journey through multiple leadership roles equipped her with a comprehensive understanding of Culver’s business,” per the release.
In recent months, Culver’s has supported its sales with LTOs like a Hot Honey Curdburger. The brand also added a celebrity-endorsed meal last summer, the J.J. Watt meal, which was the defensive end’s standard order at the Midwestern brand.
