Culver’s is proudly quality-obsessed. Every order is made from scratch and demands attention to detail and commitment to operational excellence. The result is much more than ButterBurgers and Frozen Custard—it’s a blend of taste and high-end hospitality you can’t get anywhere else. “At Culver’s, we work together to deliver a premium guest experience, because we love what we do and push each other to grow.” That quest for growth brought them to DoorDash Ads.
The challenge: Entering a new era of delivery
In 1984, the Culver family opened their first restaurant in their hometown: Sauk City, Wisconsin. They were intent on taking care of every guest, every time, and delivering excellent service and high-quality food made with the best ingredients. They grew intentionally and were careful to maintain the family values and hometown hospitality they became famous for.
Now with over a thousand restaurants in 26 states, it was time to bring that time-tested knowledge online—to a digital audience hungry for convenience. “We knew how to provide next-level service to each and every guest face-to-face. But with delivery, we had to pack the entire experience into a bag.”
The first goal was to give Culver’s a presence. “We were so new in the delivery marketplace, it felt like nobody knew we were there.” To get customer consideration, Culver’s first had to be seen.
The solution: Sponsored Listings butter up Culver’s customers
Culver’s started with a small pilot program of select restaurants, testing delivery in select locations. With guidance from their DoorDash team, they incorporated Sponsored Listings into their launch strategy, allowing the restaurant to appear at highly desirable locations throughout the app and putting them in the spotlight.
“We were looking for new and exciting opportunities to increase sales, and trying the Sponsored Listings was a no-brainer because you only pay per order. It was a great way to test and learn what works.”
After comparing their results for delivery with and without Sponsored Listings, Culver’s invested in Sponsored Listings for each store launch in their full rollout. “We were able to see how much Sponsored Listings changed the trajectory of the delivery experience right away, so it just made sense to layer on additional ones, given that success.”
The results: Steady growth, same outstanding service
Sponsored Listings added extra visibility for people who didn't know Culver’s was in their neighborhood and offered delivery to their doorstep. This increased brand awareness has been especially useful for markets outside of Culver’s home states. “The strategy really helped bolster brand awareness where other brands were potentially king of the region. It made us part of a consideration set we weren’t necessarily in before.”
Here’s Culver’s results at a glance:
25 %
d’augmentation des ventes sur DoorDash Marketplace de janvier à février 2025.
25 %
d’augmentation des ventes sur DoorDash Marketplace de janvier à février 2025.
“Those are some pretty powerful numbers. People are ordering from us again and again based on their experience. We’re seeing millions of new views, from people that have never even heard of us all the way through to people that know us and come to us regularly, but are looking for a new experience and way of ordering.”
Where other advertising channels have proven harder for Culver’s to track, whether it’s incoming orders, impressions or views, DoorDash Ads ties every view or click directly to an order.
Sponsored Listings has also helped Culver’s franchisees maintain quality and operational excellence, giving them insight with specific metrics to deliver a premium experience that’s also profitable.
The partnership: Sponsored Listings is only the beginning
Sponsored Listings have been a major part of Culver’s growth, but it’s not the only factor. Their team also sees the partnership with their DoorDash team and the larger platform as essential to their success.
“Being able to strategically target different guests with sponsored listings and operational metrics has us hitting on all cylinders. We learn from each other, and it's allowed us to find a fresh perspective and a different way to operate. I trust our DoorDash team to open up new opportunities and show us what's working and what's not. It’s a cool way to grow.”
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