St. Johns County issued a permit Oct. 12 for construction of Northeast Florida’s ninth Culver’s restaurant.
Campbell Construction of Mukwonago, Wisconsin, is the contractor for the 4,443-square-foot restaurant and drive-thru at 2620 Stratton Blvd. in St. Augustine at a cost of $2 million.
The site is east of Interstate 95 along Florida 16.
Franchise owners Garth and Lisa Darton own both the new one and their first at 3433 U.S. 1 in St. Augustine.
Wisconsin-based Culver’s specializes in ButterBurgers — burgers on buttered, toasted buns - and frozen custard. The menu includes chicken sandwiches and tenders; seafood sandwiches and dinners; salads; sides; soups; and more.
Garth Darton said Oct. 13 the new site is designed to be accessible off of I-95 and provides RV and bus parking. It will seat 120 inside and 40 on the patio.
He expects to break ground the first part of November with an opening in April.
Darton said they positioned it on the north side of Florida 16 so that it captures people leaving St. Augustine at the end of the day.
He said it was about 15 miles from their first Culver’s, which opened in 2020.
The couple is originally from Wisconsin, where Culver’s is based in Prairie du Sac, Wisconsin, north of Madison.
The Dartons spent time in the St. Augustine area off-and-on since 2011 and moved year-round in 2019.
“We’ve been wintering here since 2011 and we grew up with Culver’s,” Darton said.
“They are on every block in Wisconsin and we saw how Culver’s was taking off on the western side of the state,” he said of Florida.
“When they opened up the eastern side of the state, we got involved.”
Darton said Culver’s differs from other fast-food restaurants by cooking food to order.
The Dartons own their first location through GNL Coastal Properties LLC and the new one through Ancient City Coastal Properties LLC.
He said he hopes to have at least five more in the next five years within 90 miles.
In Duval County, the city issued a permit Sept. 5 for construction at northwest Butler and Hodges boulevards in Glen Kernan Park for Northeast Florida’s eighth Culver’s restaurant.
McCon Building Corp. of Highland, Wisconsin, is building that restaurant at 4768 Hodges Blvd. at a project cost of $1.95 million.
Franchisee HodgesLite3 LLC, led by owners Don and Lori Lichte and their daughter, Sophie, is the developer for that.
The Lichtes opened the area’s first Culver’s in July 2019 in Middleburg.
They opened the 7818 Gate Parkway restaurant in September 2021.
Other franchisees have since opened more area Culver’s.
In addition to then new ones under development in St. Augustine and Hodges Boulevard, the seven other area Culver’s locations comprise:
• 101 Monument Road in the Regency area of Arlington, in Duval County.
• 7818 Gate Parkway, near Interstate 295 in the Deerwood area of South Jacksonville, in Duval County.
• 7923 Parramore Road, at Collins Road and I-295 in Southwest Jacksonville, in Duval County.
• 45 Fountains Way, Saint Johns, in St. Johns County.
• 3433 U.S. 1, St. Augustine, in St. Johns County.
• 1767 Blanding Blvd., Middleburg, in Clay County.
• 463731 Florida 200, Yulee, in Nassau County.