ONTARIO — Richland County welcomed a taste of Wisconsin charm Wednesday with the grand opening of Culver’s on Lexington-Springmill Road.
Owner-operators Chanse and Allie Meylan thanked the city for its support.
“We’re picky about which communities we want to be a part of, and Ontario has been excellent through planning and everything,” Chanse Meylan said. “We’re thrilled to be part of the community.”
Mayor Randy Hutchinson said he has tried Concrete Mixers and cheese curds at other Culver’s locations.
“Everything I’ve had at Culver’s has been excellent and we look forward to having you in the city,” he said.
Meylan: Culver’s team excited to help with fundraisers & events
Meylan used to work in insurance before he opened a Culver’s location in Monroe, Michigan around 2021.
“The thing I liked most about insurance was talking to people and having an impact on people’s lives,” he said.
“We’re really in the people business and we happen to sell great ButterBurgers and custard. Everything’s fresh and cooked to order.”
The Bay City, Michigan native said Ontario reminded him of his hometown.
“It’s funny because the Culver’s in Bay City is right across the street from Meijer and Menards is right around the corner,” he said. “There’s a lot of little factors that make it feel like home.”
Isabel and Jacob Reed, a couple from Shelby, visited the store Wednesday morning shortly after it opened.
“We’d been to Culver’s in Indianapolis and Sandusky and liked those,” Isabel said.
“Our 10-year-old son really loved their shakes, and we did too. We’ll be back with him. He didn’t know we came here today,” she said with a laugh.
Meylan said his personal favorite menu item is the Culver’s Deluxe ButterBurger.
“I know it sounds cliché, but my favorite is the double deluxe burger,” he said. “I can’t order burgers anywhere else besides Culver’s.”
The Ontario location has 75 employees, both part-time and full-time. Meylan said he looks forward to participating in community events and fundraisers.
“We give out coupons for free menu items for ‘Kids of Character,’ ” Meylan said. “Those go to schools and they can pass them out to deserving kids for good performance, best on the bus, perfect attendance — any number of accomplishments that they can bring in for a meal or free custard.
“We also do custard donations for school events, or share nights. Community organizations or clubs can partner with us to bring people in and we donate a portion of sales for a night to them.”
The fast-casual restaurant was founded in 1984 in Wisconsin. The restaurant’s signature dishes include ButterBurgers, cheese curds and fresh, frozen custard. It features a custard “Flavor of the Day” every day.
Before the Ontario location opened Wednesday, the closest Culver’s restaurants to Mansfield were in Findlay, Medina and Canton.
Culver’s is located at 1364 N. Lexington-Springmill Road. It is next door to BellStores and across the street from Miejer and OhioHealth Emergency Care.
Culver’s is open from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. seven days a week. It is closed for Christmas, Easter and Thanksgiving.
