For over 30 years, Culver's guests have been treated to cooked-to-order food made with farm-fresh ingredients, served with a smile. The ever-expanding franchise system now numbers more than 600 family-owned and operated restaurants in 24 states. The restaurants' nationally-recognized customer service is based on small-town, Midwestern values, genuine friendliness and an unwavering commitment to quality. Signature items include the award-winning ButterBurger®, made from fresh, never frozen, beef, and Fresh Frozen Custard, including the famous Flavor of the Day program. For more information, visit www.culvers.com, www.culvers.com/facebook, www.twitter.com/culvers, https://plus.google.com/+culvers or www.instagram.com/culvers.
Situation
Culver’s in Menomonie, Wisconsin, opened in the fall of 1999 as the 89th restaurant in the Culver’s franchise system. Through his management efforts, Menomonie franchise owner Gary Theelke and his staff have won 10 awards including four Green Thumb Awards, two Humanitarian Awards, two Sales Awards, one Marketing Award, and one Circle of Excellence Award for overall store appearance and operational excellence.
Theelke first invested in his Culver’s store as a 50% owner, at inception, in 1999. In 2010, Wipfli assisted Theelke in buying majority ownership. Over the years, Wipfli has delivered a broad range of services to the Menomonie Culver’s franchise. Ultimately, Theelke’s success as a business owner and promoter left little time for the important accounting work. He turned to Wipfli, and he soon turned over the responsibility for his business’s bookkeeping and more.
Strategy
Wipfli took full charge of Theelke’s accounting needs and quickly became the business’s “back office.” The team established and delivered comprehensive bookkeeping and accounting services including:
- Providing payroll accounting, processing, and reporting
- Processing and paying vendor bills
- Reconciling all bank and credit card accounts monthly
- Preparing financial and custom reports
- Preparing corporate and individual tax returns
In addition, Wipfli provided Theelke with an online portal, giving him anytime access to his financial information. Theelke could also tap into Wipfli’s team of industry experts, including its human resources professionals who were available to provide Theelke with valuable advice concerning personnel issues.
Benefits
Having put Theelke’s ownership and financing in place, Wipfli’s FAO services have now put his back-office functions in good order. Acting as his controller, business administrator, and human resources contact, Wipfli’s one-stop shop has given Theelke the freedom to remove some of the hats a small business owner must wear and instead focus his energies on the core of his business success. Theelke now receives the metrics he needs for reporting and for optimizing his business decisions. The trusted relationship and confidence in Wipfli further allows Theelke to lead his company worry-free.
