Culver vs Thundercloud Subs Franchise Comparison

Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Culver vs Thundercloud Subs including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.

Start-Up Costs and Fees
 
Culver Franchise
Thundercloud Subs Franchise
Investment $2,349,000 - $5,356,000$65,000 - $90,000
Franchise Fee $55,000$10,000
Royalty Fee 4%-
Advertising Fee 2.5%-
Year Founded 19841975
Year Franchised 19880
Term Of Agreement 15 years-
Term Of Agreement 15 years-
Renewal Fee $30K-


Business Experience Requirements
 
Culver Franchise
Thundercloud Subs Franchise
Experience --

Financing Options
 
Culver Franchise
Thundercloud Subs Franchise
  In-House/3rd PartyIn-House/3rd Party
Franchise Fees No/Yes-/-
Start-up Costs No/Yes-/-
Equipment No/Yes-/-
Inventory No/Yes-/-
Receivables No/Yes-/-
Payroll No/Yes-/-

Training & Support
 
Culver Franchise
Thundercloud Subs Franchise
Training --
Support Newsletter, Meetings, Grand opening, Internet, Security/safety procedures, Field operations/evaluations, Purchasing cooperatives-
Marketing Ad slicks, National media, Regional advertising-
Operations 30% of all franchisees own more than one unit

Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 40 - 50

Absentee ownership of franchise is NOT allowed. (100% of current franchisees are owner/operators)

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Expansion Plans
 
Culver Franchise
Thundercloud Subs Franchise
US Expansion Yes-
Canada Expansion No-
International Expansion No-

Company Overviews

About Culver

After working with his parents in their restaurants, Craig Culver decided it was time to open one for himself. In 1984 Culver, with the help of his wife Lea and parents George and Ruth, transformed the A&W his parents owned since the sixties into Culver's Frozen Custard. Its founder's family inspired the menu for the initial Sauk City, Wisconsin, restaurant. When Culver's mother made hamburgers, she would put a dab of butter on the crown of the hamburger buns before toasting them; something her children felt made them taste better. Today, employees at each Culver's location use the same technique when making their ButterBurgers. There are Culver's locations in twelve states. All Culver's franchisees are owner/operators.
 
We’re looking for leaders with the initiative and skills to take a team of people and operate a Culver’s according to our high standards. You need energy and enthusiasm. You have to be willing to work hard. You have to love people and believe, as we do, that having a great heart is also good business.

Culver’s has grown to over 500 restaurants in 22 states.

Culver's is leading the way in the industry and in our communities. If you are craving a restaurant business made to order for you, where your financial success is directly related to how well you and your team execute against Culver’s mission that every guest who chooses Culver’s leaves happy, we invite you to consider becoming a Culver’s franchisee.

Seeking new franchise units in: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Wisconsin and Wyoming

"Entrepreneur


#9 in Franchise 500 for 2020.
#5 in Franchise 500 for 2021






About Thundercloud Subs

ThunderCloud Subs, a neighborhood sub shop with a rich tradition of good natured people serving FRESH, FAST & HEALTHY food in a great atmosphere. We started ThunderCloud in 1975 with a simple yet logical philosophy of selling a fresh meal at a reasonable price and we proudly maintain that same course today! IT'S ALL IN THE INGREDIENTS...We slice all our meats, cheeses and produce daily. We prepare our spreads from scratch every day. We have our bread made from scratch and delivered every morning and we choose only the finest ingredients. When you come into a ThunderCloud Sub Shop, you'll experience the creation of a great sandwich! Our People The ThunderCloud sandwich artists are notoriously good natured and famously talented. We take pride in a job well done. We believe in team work, doing a little bit more than our fair share and having fun both on and off the job. Though we have plenty of company policies to help keep the "machine" running smoothly, we think we allow enough liberties to foster individualism, self-esteem and self-pride. Our Community Each year, ThunderCloud sponsors some of the most engaging events that bring the Austin community together for meaningful causes. We have been a FRESH, FAST & HEALTHY part of Austin for 30 years. Being uniquely Austin means giving more, too! We dedicate half of our annual marketing effort to support local non-profit groups like Caritas of Austin. We believe in supporting organizations dedicated to creating a better Austin. ThunderCloud has proudly donated over $750,000 to Caritas and last year contributed $176,500. Our HomeThunderCloud is proud to be an engrained part of the Austin community. We're at home here in Austin, just like much of Austin feels comfortable and at home when they're in one of our shops.