The CEO of a restaurant chain, with 34 eateries in Iowa, says more changes are coming to the industry. Craig Culver, co-founder of Culver’s, says health conscious consumers are demanding more options.
“Antibiotic-free…we currently buy all of our chicken antibiotic-free and I know it’s coming in the other proteins as well,” Culver said. Culver’s was one of the first major restaurant chains that began serving chicken raised without antibiotics in 2011. More consumer driven changes are coming, according to Culver, and he welcomes the challenge.
“As a CEO or a leader of a company, it’s your job to be a dreamer, to be a visionary, and think ‘what can you do with your company to move your company forward faster than many of your competitors?'” Culver said. There’s not enough cattle being raised antibiotic-free to make it feasible for restaurant chains to serve organic beef, according to Culver. He spoke with the Brownfield Ag News Network during the recent Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin Business Conference in Madison.
Culver opened the first Culver’s restaurant with his parents in 1984 in their hometown of Sauk City, Wisconsin. There are now 572 Culver’s restaurants in 22 states.
(Thanks to Nicole Heslip, Brownfield Ag News)