The New Build

Culver's is rolling out the Fried Pickle Pub Burger systemwide through Sept. 27 as the anchor of its back-to-school limited-time lineup across more than 1,050 family-owned locations in 26 states. The sandwich layers crispy fried pickles, fresh never-frozen beef, real cheddar cheese, and a tangy Brewpub Sauce on a soft pretzel bun — drawing on Wisconsin's pub and supper-club flavor tradition. Standalone Fried Pickles are also available as a side during the same window, while supplies last.

The Fried Pickle Pub Burger is the latest entry in a series of Pub Burger LTOs Culver's mapped out for 2026, each designed to layer a bold, craveable twist onto the chain's core ButterBurger platform. "A fried pickle on a burger only works if the pickle stays crisp and the brine balances the richness of the beef," said Kasey McDonald, Culver's head of culinary. "It's innovative, crafted and unmistakably Culver's."

For c-store operators benchmarking foodservice program development, the move is a textbook LTO play: a regionally resonant flavor cue (Wisconsin pub culture), a defined promotional window, and a side attachment designed to lift per-visit ticket.

Custard Counter Additions

Two new Fresh Frozen Custard Flavors of the Day expand Culver's rotation of more than 30 rotating flavors. Peanut Butter Fudge Brownie — chocolate custard with brownie pieces, REESE'S Peanut Butter ribbons, and fudge — hits restaurants systemwide on Aug. 5. OREO REESE'S Cheesecake, folding OREO cookie pieces, REESE'S Peanut Butter Cups, and cheesecake into vanilla custard, follows on Sept. 2.

The fall custard calendar closes with pumpkin. Beginning Sept. 8, the new Pumpkin S'mores Concrete Mixer joins the returning Pumpkin Spice Shake and Salted Caramel Pumpkin Concrete Mixer, all made with real pumpkin spice and Fresh Frozen Custard. The pumpkin window gives Culver's a seasonal limited-time offer that competes directly with QSR fall flavor programs now common across the broader foodservice landscape.

Why It Matters for Operators

Culver's LTO cadence reflects a broader QSR-at-c-store trend: chains are stacking multiple promotional items within a single seasonal window to drive repeat visits and menu discovery rather than relying on a single hero SKU. The back-to-school frame — aimed at time-pressed families — also aligns with peak late-afternoon and dinner daypart traffic, the same daypart c-store operators have targeted with made-to-order foodservice expansion. With more than 1,050 units in play, Culver's has the scale to generate meaningful category benchmarks for dispensed-beverage and frozen-custard programs across the channel.

Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.